The NREF is launching a campaign to provide ongoing support for the NeuroPoint Alliance (NPA) joint study with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The one-year cooperative project will develop, test and implement an approach to improving outcomes for spine surgery patients. “The end product will be a ‘tool kit’ for participating surgeons and hospitals around the nation to improve health outcomes following elective spine surgery,” said Anthony L. Asher, MD, FAANS, director of the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD).
The NREF facilitates research funding opportunities as a means to make advances in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions such as brain tumors, strokes and spinal disorders. “We are delighted to support this NPA initiative with IHI. The results of this research will ultimately give neurosurgeons at hospitals around the country innovative, state-of-the-art techniques in managing spine care outcomes,” commented NREF chair, Jon H. Robertson, MD, FAANS. “These additional resources will enhance their ability, well into the future, to help thousands of patients with debilitating neurosurgical conditions.”
“QOD is distinguished by its emphasis on patient-reported outcomes measures. We have demonstrated that we can collect extensive, audited data. Now we need to prove that we can use this data to improve the quality of neurosurgical care. I believe that the NPA-IHI project will do this.” says Robert E. Harbaugh, MD, FAANS, chair of the NPA. “NPA is very grateful to the NREF for its continued support of this ground-breaking initiative.”
To support this important study, consider a donation to the NREF by visiting www.nref.org/donate and selecting “QOD” from the Donation Options menu.
