From data to impact: The societal contributions of neurological and neurosurgical national registries

Abstract

The creation of the electronic medical record (EMR) was one of the greatest advancements in medical documentation. It improved the efficiency and practicality of multi-patient research, such as retrospective case series and cohort studies. While EMRs made collecting and sharing patient data feasible, the subsequent advent of patient registries provided opportunities for rapid large-scale analysis. Most recently, specialty-specific registries have enabled the biomedical workforce to focus on certain diseases, particularly neurological and neurosurgical in nature. State and nation-wide analyses of these patients have combined geographic, demographic, patient presentation, and treatment information to identify disparities in care and patient outcomes. Further optimization and expansion of discipline-specific registries can improve data collection, research, and patient care, all while facilitating national collaboration that was not previously possible.