As a key member benefit for Fellows and Associate Fellows, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Surgeon Specific Registry (SSR) allows surgeons to track their cases and outcomes and meet a number of regulatory requirements. The SSR is an online software application and database that is convenient and easy to use from a desktop computer or through a mobile responsive page. The College encourages members to take advantage of this important resource, which allows surgeons to track the quality of the patient care they provide.
Background
The SSR builds on the ACS Case Log system, which the ACS introduced more than a decade ago as a means for surgeons to keep a record of their cases for practice-based learning. The SSR has evolved into a comprehensive tool for surgeons seeking not only to keep a log of their cases, but also to meet the evolving regulatory demands of the profession.
In 2016, the ACS partnered with QuintilesIMS to move all ACS Quality Program registries, including the SSR, together under one umbrella platform with the goal of building the ACS registry of the future over the next three years. This spring, the ACS launched the new SSR platform on the QuintilesIMS-hosted registry as a first step in this direction.
The SSR’s new features and functions
Only a few key clinical data variables are required for case collection, so surgeons may enter as little or as much data as they like, depending on their clinical practice needs. Surgeons can enter data on any number of devices, including computers, tablets, and smartphones, regardless of the device’s operating system. Members of the ACS can use the SSR free of charge.
The SSR provides the individual surgeon with the ability to implement the system’s features to fulfill a variety of clinical practice needs, including the following:
- Log cases and track outcomes
- Analyze data with enhanced reporting options
- Create custom data fields
- Use responsive mobile web design
- Delegate account access
- Meet regulatory requirements, including the following:
- American Board of Surgery Maintenance of Certification Part 4
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program (QPP)–Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
Meeting regulatory requirements
The ACS continues to work with CMS to achieve and maintain the SSR’s standing as a qualified entity for individual, registry-based reporting of quality performance measures for the purpose of meeting Medicare program regulations.
To that end, the SSR is supporting the CMS MIPS program pathway of the QPP for the 2017 transition year. Specifically for 2017, the SSR is both a MIPS Qualified Registry (QR) and a MIPS Qualified Clinical Data Registry, and will be supporting the following components:
- Quality component, which replaces the former Physician Quality Reporting System
- Clinical Practice Improvement Activities, a new component
- For the Quality component, the SSR is offering the following reporting options for surgeons:
- General Surgery Measures Specialty Set
- ACS Surgical Phases of Care Measures Set (expected to be available in September)
For more information on MIPS 2017, visit our website.
The ACS intends to continually improve the functionality of the SSR system, as well as address enhancement opportunities and integrate it with other ACS registries under the new platform. In the future, users also will be able to review benchmark reports.
The ACS offers training webinars to help members transition to the use of the new SSR and will continue to communicate programmatic updates and training on how to use the system on our website through the SSR Communities and via system user e-mail. For more information, contact the SSR program representatives at ssr@facs.org or at 312-202-5408.
