Centegra joins joint replacement registry
Submitted by Centegra Health System
More than a million knee and hip replacements are performed each year in the U.S., a number that is expected to increase as more and more men and women remain active as they get older. Centegra Health System has always been committed to ensuring its joint replacement patients have the best experiences possible. The system has taken an added step toward improving the patient experience by joining the American Joint Replacement Registry, an independent, nonprofit database designed to store comprehensive data about joint replacement procedures.
“Joining the AJRR will help ensure that we can continue to provide patients with the best care possible,” said David Shinherr, director of orthopedics and neurology at Centegra Health System. “By participating with other hospitals in sharing information about artificial joint performance and physician and patient experiences, we can help joint replacement procedures become safer nationwide, while optimizing the patient experience here at Centegra.”
The AJRR serves as a central clearinghouse for information about joint replacements performed at Centegra Hospital-McHenry and Centegra Hospital-Woodstock and other member hospitals and medical centers throughout the country that participate in the registry. The AJRR aims to monitor the artificial joint throughout a recipient’s lifetime in a database containing information about the patient, the surgeon who performed the procedure and the hospital or medical center where the procedure took place. The data collected will help doctors more quickly identify joints that are performing poorly and will help them match patients, procedures and devices to ensure that every patient has the best possible outcome.
By offering a single source of data, doctors and other health care professionals who use the registry can easily access data from medical centers around the country and use that information to help them make more informed recommendations to their patients, ultimately improving patient care. Registry information about patient outcomes and experiences also will help artificial joint manufacturers improve their products and identify potentially faulty products and can help reduce health care costs associated with replacement procedures and follow-up care. All data collected by the AJRR remains confidential to protect patient privacy.
“Registries for joint replacement procedures and other medical procedures and conditions have proved to be effective tools in improving patient outcomes and reducing complications that can occur both during and following surgical procedures,” said Dr. William J. Maloney, chairman of the AJRR board of directors. “In fact, in countries where registries have been created and used, revision rates have decreased significantly, resulting in substantial cost savings and a better overall patient experience.”
The American Joint Replacement Registry was founded in 2009 by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and other orthopedic industry leaders and stakeholders and began collecting data in 2011. The AJRR’s goal is to optimize patient outcomes through collection of data on all primary and revision total joint replacement procedures in the U.S. The mission of the registry is to enhance patient safety, improve quality of care and reduce the cost of care. For more information about the registry and its objectives, visit www.ajrr.net.
Centegra Health System is committed to meeting the health care needs of the residents of greater McHenry County and to making services available in multiple and convenient locations, including hospitals in McHenry and Woodstock, Immediate and Physician Care Centers, Centegra Sage Cancer Center, Health Bridge Fitness Centers and the upcoming Centegra Hospital-Huntley.