The ACQUIRE Registry
Transparency and accountability are core values at UroCure. In preparing to launch our new ArcTV sling, we partnered with the American Urogynecological Society (AUGS) to help us collect post-market data on the sling’s performance through its ACQUIRE quality improvement (QI) registry. UroCure is the first sling company to do this in a commercial product launch, and it reflects our dedication to doing things the ‘right way’.
What is a ‘Quality Improvement Registry’?
QI registries have grown increasingly common across medical specialties as a tool to improve care for their patients The ACQUIRE Registry is specifically dedicated to urologists, urogynecologists, and gynecologists treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The ACQUIRE Registry enables physicians to capture information about a patient’s experience for a minimum of three years following the implantation of a midurethral sling.* It provides these physicians with a means to measure their outcomes from SUI surgery, to benchmark against their peers, and to continuously improve the quality of their care.
Clear benefits can accrue to both physician and patient in using a QI registry. For the physician, the registry provides clinically relevant information on the patient’s surgical experience, captures information on how the device may be working, and potentially help identify ways he or she can better serve the interests of their patients. For the patient, the registry allows a direct path for feedback, ensuring that her voice is heard.
How does the ACQUIRE Registry work?
UroCure is committed to working with physicians and institutions to enroll the first 500 patients treated with the ArcTV sling into the ACQUIRE Registry. UroCure is setting up a network of physician practices and healthcare institutions within ACQUIRE—in a HIPAA patient privacy-compliant manner— to collect clinical data as well as patient-reported outcomes.
Data collection occurs at various intervals for up to three years post SUI surgery. Physicians enter pre-and post-operative data as well as longer-term follow-up assessment information into AQUIRE. Over the same time period, patients periodically answer a short survey about their post-operative experience. The patient’s participation is entirely voluntary.
Real-time data collection as a quality improvement tool is increasingly recognized as critical inpatient care. “By harnessing this information, we can then make meaningful changes that help improve patient outcomes.” Utilizing the ACQUIRE Registry in UroCure’s new product launch represents an important step forward and establishes a high standard for the medical device industry overall.
* The ACQUIRE Registry incorporates information from non-sling, surgical SUI procedures as well as all types of sling procedures.
