Published: May 4, 2018

Get connected to quality!

The 2018 OTO Experience will draw on the connectivity of Research & Quality in one central location! Academy members have the advantage of an organization that recognizes the interdependent relationship between research, guidelines, measures, and the Reg-entSM clinical data registry, and one unit that coordinates it all.


Quality

The 2018 OTO Experience will draw on the connectivity of Research & Quality in one central location! Academy members have the advantage of an organization that recognizes the interdependent relationship between research, guidelines, measures, and the Reg-entSM clinical data registry, and one unit that coordinates it all. The Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts (CORE) grants program encourages young investigators to contribute to the profession’s research by funding one- or two-year grants ranging from $5,000 to $80,000. The research from these grants feeds into the compendium of literature that is used for the well-established clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), which are recognized by physician societies around the world.

In recent years, payers and policymakers have asked how quality practice can be measured. Due to the Academy’s robust foundation in CPGs, we were able to respond expeditiously. In true Academy style, members did not create just a couple of quality measures to meet the minimum requirements but developed almost 20 new measures across subspecialties—and they keep going! By 2019, the Academy will have measures for pediatric otology, neurotology, age-related hearing loss, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, hoarseness, and rhinoplasty.

Still need a solution for MIPS 2018? Start early!

The ramp-up time to prepare practices and secure measures data for quality reporting is dependent upon the EHR solution in place within each practice, the level of cooperation of the EHR vendor, and the timeliness of both the vendor and the practice in following up on deliverables assigned during the data mapping process. We urge everyone to start now by visiting www.reg-ent.org and clicking on the Get Started Now button to execute your contract.

All practices and clinicians interested in reporting MIPS via the Reg-ent registry must have signed contracts in place by July 16, 2018.

Visit www.reg-ent.org and join today! Questions? Email reg-ent@entnet.org.

Quality measures are then programmed into the Reg-ent registry, which uses electronic health record (EHR) data to populate the measure specifications and determine each otolaryngologist’s quality performance score. The Reg-ent registry allows otolaryngologists to benchmark their patient outcomes, professional performance, and care processes against other otolaryngologists across the country. Reg-ent is able to demonstrate the continuum of care from the patient’s initial visit through intervention and follow up.

Over time, aggregate data collected in Reg-ent will be used for research, to inform new guidelines, and to develop new measures. These new measures will then be built into Reg-ent, allowing for additional data to be collected, analyzed, and measured—and the quality connection continues! Stop by the Research & Quality booth co-located this year with the Reg-ent registry booth and find out how you can connect to quality! While there, meet the Reg-ent team, and learn about and use Reg-ent to engage with quality. Also hear more about Maintenance of Certification Part IV research. Reg-ent staff will be available in the Reg-ent booth in Building B, Main Lobby, fourth floor of the Georgia World Congress Center, Sunday, October 7 through Wednesday, October 10.

Join us for the Reg-ent panel discussion where panel experts will share late-breaking research and state-of-the-art developments in the Reg-ent registry (1:15 pm (ET) Sunday, October 7).

Already a Reg-ent practice? Don’t miss the Reg-ent Users Group Meeting, October 7, from 9:30 am -12:30 pm (ET) to learn how to navigate and maximize the use of your Reg-ent dashboard and quality measures mapping. Meet the experts who will provide the most current information and late-breaking updates on EHR vendors. See you in Atlanta!


More from May 2018 – Vol. 37, No. 4