Thank you for your interest in joining the CT Colonography (CTC) Registry! We hope this step-by-step Start-up Guide helps you to get underway with submitting your data and to obtain the most value out of your registry participation.
The following steps pertain to getting underway with the CTC Registry and include links to articles in Knowledge Base, the National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) user guide.
The NRDR Team welcomes suggestions for how we can improve this guide and your overall experience with CTC Registry start up and ongoing participation. Please send your suggestions and comments to NRDRSupport@acr.org.
I. Assemble Your Team
Bringing together a team comprised of individuals who can contribute varied expertise will help ensure a successful launch and continued operation of the CTC Registry at your institution. Examples of potential roles are briefly described below.
Physician Champion: reviews CTC imaging protocols to ensure compliance with: ACR-SAR-SCBT-MR Practice Parameter for the Performance of Computed Tomography (CT) Colonography in Adults (Revised 2019) and reviews dictation template for the inclusion of necessary data points (View PDF of the case registration and exam forms for variables recorded.)
Data Coordinator: manages data collection and submission to the CTC registry (See options in section IV). This individual typically has access to medical records including imaging reports from which data points are extracted. Depending on your practice, you may find that a CT technologist, nurse navigator, or CTC coordinator may be the best fit for this role on your team.
NRDR Administrator(s): manages accounts and assign NRDR user roles as described in the following NRDR Knowledge Base articles.
II. Complete the Application Process and Create an NRDR Account
Facilities new to NRDR wishing to participate in the CTC Registry must complete the application process. NRDR Knowledge Base articles provide step-by-step instructions.
Note: If a facility already has an NRDR account, only an addendum to the existing participation agreement is needed to register for the CTC Registry. See how to add the CTC Registry to your facility registration. Facilities already participating in the Dose Index Registry (DIR) or General Radiology Improvement Database (GRID), can join the CTC Registry at no additional cost.
III. Get Your Team Signed Up with ACR Login
Team members who will need to access the NRDR portal to manage accounts, enter data or review performance reports will need ACR Login credentials. ACR Login enables users to enter their login credentials one time on a single page to access all their ACR applications.
Certain ACR Login applications, such as NRDR, require Multifactor Authentication (MFA). MFA necessitates users entering an additional piece of information when logging in for enhanced data security, making it harder for user accounts to become compromised.
Note: Read the Knowledge Base article ACR Login and Multifactor Authentication for more information.
IV. Become Familiar with Options for Submitting Data
Before entering case or exam data, review the Knowledge Base article CTC Data Submission Overview to learn about:
Data collected in the Exam form
Options for submitting data: Manual data entry, data file upload, web-based data transmission
An example workflow for manual data entry.
Note: Many current CTC Registry participants submit data via the manual data entry option. Depending upon your CTC procedure volume, this may be the best option for getting started with submitting data.
Should you encounter technical issues with set up or need assistance, please open a ticket with the NRDR Help Desk.
V. Review Your Reports
Review the CTC Registry Available Reports Knowledge Base article to become familiar with the reports that can help you confirm the data submitted is correctly recorded in the database and to review your facility’s results. Many facilities review reports quarterly or bi-annually, depending upon CTC volume, to ensure data submitted are being received and to observe performance patterns over time for quality improvement purposes.
Facilities using the data file upload method to submit their data can review their upload results with the online Upload Error Report.
VI. Chart Your Progress
Print the following checklist to chart your progress or download a Word file template
to tailor the checklist to your needs.
Identify CTC Team Members | |
☐ | Physician Champion |
☐ | Data Coordinator |
☐ | NRDR Administrator(s) |
For Facilities Already Participating in the NRDR | |
CTC Registry is added to your facility's NRDR registration. (Facilities already participating in the DIR or GRID can join the CTC Registry at no additional cost.) | |
For Facilities New to NRDR (Review the article Items You’ll Need to Register to carry out the items in this section.) | |
☐ | Create a corporate account |
☐ | Create a facility account for each site that will contribute data |
☐ | Review, sign and submit the NRDR Participation Agreement and Business Associate Agreement |
☐ | Submit your application and payment |
Confirm Staff Who Require NRDR Portal Access Have Set Up an ACR Login and MFA | |
☐ | All persons who need access can successfully log in to the NRDR portal |
Choose a Your Data Submission Method (select one of the below) and Enter Data | |
☐ | Manual Data Entry |
☐ | CTC Data File Upload |
☐ | Web-based Data Transmission |
Review Your Reports | |
☐ | Develop a plan for who retrieves and reviews the reports and the frequency of review. |
Last reviewed: 05/06/2021