Victorian Agency for Health Information (VAHI) is seeking to maximise the use of clinical registry data to help health services and clinicians improve the quality of care. VAHI have identified that health services in Victoria do not typically access data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR). VAHI recently submitted a data request to the registry to compare Victoria’s outcomes with all other states and promote how health services can access and use this valuable information.
The AOANJRR collects and provides data back to health services on joint replacement surgeries. The registry was established in 1999 to collect data on hip and knee replacements and, since mid-2002, has received data for almost all hip and knee replacements performed in Australia. In 2007 the registry expanded to collect data on a much broader range of joint replacement surgeries including shoulders, elbows, ankles and wrists. The registry receives data from over 300 hospitals, providing a comprehensive picture of joint replacement surgery in Australia.
One of the main reasons the AOANJRR was established was to improve outcomes of care for joint replacement for Australians. Health services can request data from the registry free of charge to help the surgeons performing these surgeries to understand the quality of care they are providing. In addition, being able to compare outcomes for joint replacement surgery across hospitals, states and nationally can help to ensure that those getting these surgeries have confidence in the outcomes, regardless of where their surgery is performed.
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