In California, more than 90,000 hip and knee replacements are performed every year and this number is expected to rise as more Americans remain active as they age. Despite the rapid growth in these surgeries, information about quality remains limited.
The California Joint Replacement Registry (CJRR) at www.caljrr.org was created to meet the need for objective, scientific information on the results of hip and knee replacement surgeries in the state. CJRR collects and incorporates clinical information and obtains direct feedback from patients on the outcomes of hip and knee replacements.
Three major health plans in the state are contributing $550,000 to help expand the CJRR. These health plans include Blue Shield of California ($300,000) over three years, Cigna ($150,000) over three years, and Anthem Blue Cross contributed $100,000 in 2014.
In addition to financial support, the three health plans have urged high volume hospitals in their respective networks to participate in the CJRR to help to improve the power of the data to support the best outcomes.
The registry collects, reports and shares scientifically valid data on the results of hip and knee replacements performed in California to help guide physician and patient treatment decisions and support programs for provider recognition and reward.
A new report presenting findings from the registry’s first two years of data collection (2011-2013) includes information on 5,100 hip and knee replacement surgeries from nine participating hospitals and 61 surgeons.
By the end of 2014, about 30 hospitals and affiliated surgeons will contribute data to CJRR. With a new agreement with Kaiser Permanente, CJRR by early 2015, expects to report on surgeries from hospitals that perform half of the hip and knee replacements in the state.