We are pleased to announce that Dr. Matthew Nielsen, Rhodes Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Member, recently shared his insights on The American Urological Association (AUA) Quality (AQUA) Registry in a video interview disseminated by The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC).
In the interview, Dr. Nielsen delves into the significance of the AQUA Registry, which aims to enhance urological care through robust quality measures and data collection. The AQUA Registry is a national Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) designed to measure, report, and improve health care quality. The AQUA Registry collects real-world data directly from the participants’ electronic health record system. This automated process allows practices to participate in quality improvement activities, contribute to national urology benchmarks, and have access to urology-specific quality measures. This initiative is crucial for advancing patient outcomes and fostering improvements in clinical practice. AUA is proud to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the AQUA Registry this year. Over this first decade, AQUA has grown from 1.2 million patients to over 12 million patients in 2023, capturing data from, at this point in time, over 100 million patient encounters to advance quality in urology.
Dr. Nielsen, who currently serves as the AUA Science and Quality Council Chair, is leading efforts to coordinate activities across several key committees, including Quality Improvement/Patient Safety, Data, and Practice Guidelines.
Additionally, Dr. Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan, Director of Urologic Oncology, Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program Director, Associate Professor of Urology, and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Member, plays a pivotal role within the AUA as the Chair-Elect of the Data Committee. In this capacity, Dr. Tan contributes to shaping the data strategies that drive the AQUA Registry’s mission and expand its utilization to support continuous improvement in urological care. Tan also was a leader developing the AUA Data Research Program, creating a vehicle for AUA members to pursue research studies using AQUA data and other AUA Data Committee assets, including the AUA Census.
We encourage you to watch the full interview to gain a deeper understanding of how the AQUA Registry is transforming the field of urology and the significant contributions of Drs. Nielsen and Tan.