PARTICIPATION STEPS

Steps for Becoming a Contributor to the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry (NACOR)

STEP 1

Sign AQI Participation and Business Associate Data Use Agreements.
If you or your legal counsel need to modify language in the agreements, please request a Word version of the Agreements, mark up the documents accordingly, and send them back to AQI for review.  AQI will review changes, sign the approved agreements, and send you back a copy for your records.

Send agreements to:    

Lance Mueller
AQI Business Manager
520 N. Northwest Highway
Park Ridge, IL  60068
Email: l.mueller@asahq.org
Phone: 847-268-9190

STEP 2

Enter practice, provider, facility and technology information on the AQI Web site.

• Complete the Practice Information
  • This section requests basic information about your practice. Included information: General Information, Staff and Services, Software used, and general billing questions.
     
• Complete the Providers Information
  • This section contains basic information about anesthesia providers in your practice (MDs, DOs, CRNAs, AAs, Residents). This includes certifications, fellowships, etc. Note that Practice Specific Provider ID is an ID used internally by a practice (distinct value for each provider). You will need to assign a code number for each of the providers in your practice. These are the numbers that you will later use when uploading case specific data to NACOR. Ideally, you will want to match the provider numbers used in your billing software. Locum tenens do not need to be included as Providers. The AQI system will automatically cross reference case data uploads against Providers and input a record for any missing Provider(s). It is important to make updates to your provider information as changes occur – we suggest a quarterly review and update.
     
• Complete the Facilities Information
  • This section contains basic information about facilities covered by your practice. Practice Specific Facility ID is an ID used internally by a practice (distinct value for each facility). You will need to assign a code number for each of the facilities your practice covers. These are the numbers that you will later use when uploading case specific data to NACOR. Ideally, you will want to match the facility numbers used in your billing software.
     
•  Complete the Technology Information
  • This section contains information about the various software used in your practice to capture data.  The Section also helps AQI gauge whether or not you are capturing anesthesia complications/outcomes and if so the method you are using.
     

Multiple Providers and Facilities may be entered by hitting the "SAVE" button after each Provider/Facility entry and continuing entries on a new form. You may exit, enter and edit your data at any time. If you prefer to make your Providers entries offline, an Excel spreadsheet is available upon login.

The Data Loads button may be used later to submit your case specific data.  NACOR contributors may view Registry Reports by clicking on the Reports button.

STEP 3

The AQI Information Technology team will contact you for a brief technical interview to discuss what data you capture, where it resides, and which technology vendors you are using to capture data.

Depending on your institution’s billing, anesthesia information system (AIMS), quality, and electronic hospital record systems, the AQI will work with you and/or your software vendors to develop/configure the process necessary to transfer your data to NACOR in the acceptable format.  You do not need to have an AIMS system or electronic medical records to participate in NACOR.
 

• If AQI has already developed data interfaces for any of your systems:
  • AQI staff will discuss with your institution’s IT staff what systems are being used and if an interface already exists.  If so, this will shorten the timeframe for case data delivery.
     
• If AQI has not yet developed data interfaces for system(s) used in your institution:
  • AQI will work with your IT contact(s) to identify potential solutions.  If necessary, we will also work directly with the software vendor(s) to develop a standard data transfer procedure. We request that data be uploaded monthly via our secure ftp site.  After your test file has been validated, we will request a one-time upload of data back to January 2010 (if available) to provide some historical perspective.
     

STEP 4

Upload data to the registry.

Once the data from your institution’s billing, AIMS, quality, and outcome systems are extracted, the data is ready for submission to NACOR.

• Please refer to the contract and institutional guidelines regarding what identifying data can be sent.
• Transfer the data to NACOR through our secure ftp site. 
• We request that data be uploaded monthly. After your test file has been validated, we will request a one-time upload of data back to January 2010 (if available) to provide some historical perspective.

STEP 5

AQI Provides Registry Contributor with Reports.

NACOR contributors may access their practice report under the Reports button on the AQI website www.aqihq.org on the MEMBERS ONLY page. 

Questions?  Contact Lance Mueller at l.mueller@asahq.org or 847-268-9190