Academy of Otolaryngology to Launch National Clinical Data Registry

by Mary Beth Nierengarten •

Based on the experience of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database (see Lessons Learned from the Society for Thoracic Surgeons National Database, above), David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the society’s Council on Quality, Research, and Patient Safety, encouraged otolaryngologists to view the clinical data registry as a potential aid to improving patient care and clinical practice. Emphasizing the importance of accurate data, he urged otolaryngologists to proactively engage in the database and not completely relegate data entry to someone else. “To the extent that surgeons are involved and engaged in the process of data collection, working in conjunction with their data managers, the more accurate, useful, and trustworthy the database will be to surgeons,” he said.

Mary Beth Nierengarten is a freelance medical writer based in Minnesota.

Lessons Learned from the Society for Thoracic Surgeons

Since its implementation in 1989, the Society for Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database has helped cardiothoracic surgeons improve quality and safety of care for their patients (Ann Thorac Surg. 2016;101:841-845). “We think the STS database has been the most important factor driving performance improvement in cardiothoracic surgery over the past several decades,” said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the STS Council on Quality, Research, and Patient Safety. “We’ve seen dramatic improvements in morbidity and mortality over the last 15 years, largely driven by the database.”

One particular area on which the database has shown an impact is performance of coronary bypass surgery. A significant improvement in the process of care, according to Dr. Shahian, is the increased use of the internal mammary artery for at least one of the bypass grafts during this surgery. Using this conduit is desirable because of its greater long-term patency and associated patient survival, said Dr. Shahian. Since hospitals and surgeons have received data from the database on the percentage of time they actually use the internal mammary artery, its use has dramatically increased, to approximately 95% or more at most programs.