Tracking outcomes for patients receiving implantable cardioverter defibrillators The ICD Registry® is a nationwide quality program that helps participating hospitals measure and improve care for patients receiving implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). As the CMS-mandated registry for hospitals that perform ICD implantation procedures, the ICD Registry plays an important role in determining whether an ICD implantation was indicated for each Medicare beneficiary. But it does far more. The ICD Registry gives quality-conscious hospitals like yours the ability to compare the performance of their ICD procedures to national benchmarks and enhance patient outcomes. It delivers a detailed view of the morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization associated with a particular disease entity and focuses attention on specific aspects of a particular illness that might otherwise be overlooked.

Guiding questions…garnering insights The vast amount of ICD implementation data housed in the NCDR provides both hospitals and payers with a vital tool for creating quality improvement and pay-for-performance programs. For instance, ICD Registry data have been used to expand knowledge: Beyond randomized clinical trials to real-world experiences Among different ages, races, and genders that receive ICD therapy For physicians of varying experience levels