CHICAGO — Long recognized as a leader in the use of rigorously collected clinical data to improve surgical patient care, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) will use Epic’s Community Registries Platform to simplify data collection processes for hospitals and enhance how data are used to accelerate quality improvement.
The ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) transformed the use of data for quality improvement in surgery when it was introduced 20 years ago, enabling hospitals to improve both the safety and quality of care for patients. This new collaboration with Epic is a key component of the ACS clinical data strategy, positioning the ACS to better integrate artificial intelligence and other technological advances to support hospitals and systems. Data collection processes for hospitals participating in ACS Quality Programs will be streamlined, creating a more complete set of patient records and making more timely insights available to inform clinical decision-making.
The ACS’s clinical data strategy is a multiyear effort and will expand to include other electronic medical records providers and technology.
“Our ACS Surgical Quality Partner hospitals know that good data are essential for sustained improvement efforts. Reducing the burden of data collection and analysis will enhance the impact of our programs,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director & CEO of the ACS. “Our collaboration with Epic and future technology partners has the potential to transform how hospitals use data just as NSQIP did two decades ago.”
Over the next year, the ACS will integrate the Community Registries Platform into its technology stack to automate data capture, allowing hospitals to collect clinical data seamlessly and reliably. In addition to NSQIP, the ACS NSQIP Pediatric registry and the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program registry will be incorporated into this effort, followed by other programs.
“With the ACS moving to Epic Community Registries, it’ll be easier for health systems to participate — and for surgeons to share insights and learn from each other,” said Phil Lindemann, Vice President of Data and Research at Epic.
“One of the main goals of the ACS Quality Programs is to help hospitals use their limited resources as efficiently and effectively as possible as they strive to improve quality,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, Senior Vice President of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. “We have heard very clearly from our hospitals that they see the tremendous value clinical data provides and they need new technology tools to reduce the burden of data collection and to make more information available in real time. We are pleased to be working with Epic to assist hospitals in delivering the highest quality care for their patients.”