LINCOLN, RI (February 1, 2018) HI-IQ®, the leader in quality improvement solutions for interventional radiology, announced today that direct data submission from HI-IQ to the Interventional Radiology (IR) Registry has been successfully achieved by the first of its users. The IR Registry, a joint initiative between the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) was launched in 2017 and provides participants with reports benchmarking their performance against other facilities to help improve quality and patient safety.
In response to the first IR Registry data submission by a HI-IQ user, Kevin Lauzon, R.T.(R)(CT), HI-IQ’s Software Design Director, commented, “HI-IQ has long been a tool for quality benchmarking at the local level. We’re thrilled that it can now be used to collect and submit data for national benchmarking. This new capability further solidifies our commitment to providing software tools that allow IR’s to measure the value of care they provide.”
In addition to peer benchmarking, benefits of participation in the IR Registry include fulfillment of reporting requirements for CMS’s Merit-based Incentive Program System (MIPS) as well as for Maintenance of Certification Part IV requirements of the American Board of Radiology. By using HI-IQ for data collection, HI-IQ subscribers gain the benefit of creating a comprehensive quality database that encompasses all image-guided interventions, not just the subset of procedures eligible for registry submission. Use of HI-IQ for registry participation also eliminates the workflow changes inherent in adopting standard report templates, and eliminates the need to involve local hospital IT staff to install additional software on the hospital network.
To participate in the IR Registry using HI-IQ, HI-IQ subscribers simply enroll in the registry through the ACR, then notify HI-IQ of their intent to participate. HI-IQ is equipped with all the fields necessary to collect and submit the approved quality measures for the registry, no software installation is required by participants. Once enrolled, HI-IQ users complete data entry of quality measures during their normal workflow. HI-IQ is capable of collecting and submitting six (6) quality measures, requiring minimal additional data entry.
HI-IQ Strategic Accounts Manager, Heather Nogueira, noted, “It’s really exciting to offer IR Registry data submission to our customers. We’re finding that many people are confused by the new MIPS requirements and a fair number are choosing to do nothing and take their chances with reimbursement. We’ve taken the mystery out of the process and made it extremely simple to meet the requirements. Even for IR physicians who don’t need to submit data for MIPS, there is no better way to receive performance benchmarking data on measures directly relevant to IR.”

HI-IQ was designed by volunteers from the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) and provides solutions for a diverse range of interventional radiology needs. First developed in 1993 as a means of capturing QA data, HI-IQ has evolved into the centerpiece tool for managing IR workflow. Today HI-IQ is solely marketed and developed by ConexSys Inc., the healthcare division of Custom Computer Specialists, under the exclusive advisory guidance of the Society of Interventional Radiology.