Setting up a patient registry successfully enhances the value of a health organizations ability to improve patient outcomes. The effectiveness of patient registries is dependent on various factors involved in the initial setup, which is why it is crucial to thoroughly do your research and determine what you aim to achieve from a patient registry program.
Many healthcare institutions end up making avoidable mistakes that cost them later on. Understanding these commonly made mistakes will ensure that you avoid them and set up an efficient and effective patient registry.
Five Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Up a Patient Registry
Here are the five main mistakes you must know about before setting up the patient registry the right way:
1. Neglecting to Articulate the Purpose of a Patient Registry
The first step should be to determine the main purpose of the patient registry. Of course, it is used to gather data about your patients. Many hospitals and clinics set up specific systems depending on their needs, including a clinical registry, patient registry, or rare disease registry.
To successfully plan and set up successful patient registries, clearly defined purpose and goals must be determined. This will facilitate the evaluation of whether the patient registry software solution is capturing the relevant information to meet the purpose and goals of the program.
2. Selecting Patient Registry Software without Researching
It is essential to keep in mind that every health care organization would have a different goal and purpose for setting up the patient registry. Some might set up a general patient registry for rare diseases, a clinical outcomes registry comparing multiple treatment modalities, or perhaps just a rare disease registry alone. There are various patient registry solutions available to meet the needs and requirements of many health care facilities.
You must ensure that the registry solution you are opting for has the right data collection method, analysis / tracking tools, and accessibility to gather the data you are looking to benefit the most from the system.
3. Not Identifying the Important Stakeholders
Many make the mistake of not identifying the major stakeholders of the registry early on. The stakeholders could be your target patients, data collection personnel, data analysis staff, and the staff or agency that monitors the results. These key stakeholders can help you analyze the highlighted trends in the rare patient disease registry so you can focus on your goal.
4. Failing to Train the Team to Handle the Patient Registry
Even after you set up the right patient registry according to your goals and purpose, without a properly trained team, it won’t benefit you. A different skill set is needed for the functioning of the patient registry, adding the correct data, and analyzing it for the ultimate goal.
The right team will increase the patient registry’s efficiency and ensure that you make the most of the data collected.
5. Being Inconsistent with Patient Registry Data Collection
Consistent and sustainable data collection is integral to the success of any patient registry. It is essential to aim for the long-term collection of data from ongoing data sources. Inconsistency in adding the patient information can drastically affect the end outcome. You need clear guidelines that the team should follow to ensure the data collection is sustainable and successful.
Your clinical practice, research, or purpose could suffer greatly if these mistakes are made when setting up and running a patient registry. You need the right guidance and system to ensure the patient registry is a success.
Our Patient Registry Solution is an ideal solution that designs and deploys a custom patient registry to fulfill the specific goals and purpose of your health care organization. Schedule your free demo today or get in touch if you have any queries.
