In response to member requests, the Vascular Quality Initiative now includes 30-day follow-up forms in most of its 12 registries.
The addition of the form — there already is a mandatory Long-term Follow-up Form — permits VQI participants to collect 30-day re-admission data. Surgeons and hospital administrators find this information important as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has focused on readmissions as part of the reimbursement process.
This 30-day information is not currently being captured on the long-term forms, and the long-term form isn’t timely enough for 30-day purposes, said Jens Eldrup-Jorgensen, MD, SVS PSO medical director.
“Now users will be able to collect 30-day re-admission data in addition to other important short-term outcomes, such as acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia,” he said. “CMS defines many of those outcomes and is interested in when, where and how they occur.”
The 30-day form is a big departure for VQI registry collection data, he/ she said. “It’s always been thought that it’s more important to look at vascular patients long-term; that’s why we have the one-year follow-up,” Dr. Eldrup-Jorgensen said. Other registries typically do only 30-day follow-up and don’t track long-term disease progression, as VQI does.
“But because of the government focus on 30-day re-admissions, it was important for us to add this data point where we can,” said Dr. Eldrup-Jorgensen. “Members have really been eager to have this information to help their focus on quality improvement efforts.”
The new forms can be used with the registries for carotid artery stent, carotid endarterectomy, endovascular AAA repair, open AAA repair, infra-inguinal bypass, supra-inguinal bypass, lower extremity amputation, peripheral vascular intervention, and thoracic and complex EVAR. The forms are not available for the hemodialysis access, inferior vena cava filter and varicose veins registries.
VQI presented a webinar on the 30-day form at the end of 2018. VQI members may view the webinar at vsweb.org/30DayWebinar.
The VQI is a collaborative of regional quality groups that collects and analyzes data in an effort to improve patient care. It is governed by the SVS Patient Safety Organization. For more, visit vqi.org.