NRDR Data Analysis and Publications Policy

The goal of the American College of Radiology (ACR) National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) is to develop evidence on the practice of radiology to improve the quality of patient care. One component of achieving this goal is to disseminate information on the status and changes in practice through careful research and publication in high-quality and high-impact venues.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Fees
• Data Request Submission
• Data Request Review Process
• Data Request Execution
• Publications General Considerations
• Steps and Timelines for Publications Development and Submissions
• Primary Investigator and Author Responsibility
• Authorship
• Appendix 1: Role of the Data Request Review and Publications Panels
• Appendix 2: Manuscript Acknowledgements

The ACR welcomes all requests for data analysis using data available in one of the registries that comprise the NRDR. Applications for data analysis will be accepted from a wide variety of requestors including registry participants, non-registry participants, and industry and governmental organizations.

To ensure the dissemination of high-quality evidence and the stewardship of registry data, all NRDR research requests are reviewed for approval by a registry-specific Data Request Review Panel. The panels are composed of members from the individual registry committees and the NRDR staff and are guided by the NRDR Steering Committee Chair.

Note: Registry data analysis for approved requests is conducted in collaboration with an ACR analyst. Aggregated data and corresponding analysis are sent to requestors and their co-investigators. No raw data are provided for offsite analysis.

Fees

NRDR participants are eligible to request data from any of the registries under the NRDR for analysis support at no cost upon approval of their request. All others will receive a quote for the analysis work with the fee based on the number of administrative and statistical hours needed to complete the approved request. The fee will not exceed the cost for the requester’s practice or organization to join a registry under NRDR which is, on average, $1500. Should the scope of the work extend beyond the original request, a revised quote reflecting the additional fee will be provided before the start of the additional work.

Data Request Submission

Requestors should follow the instructions and reference materials on the NRDR Data Analysis and Publications Policy page of the ACR website page to:

1. Ensure the feasibility of their request by reviewing the respective registry data dictionary.

2. Convey the request’s rationale and confirm it doesn’t duplicate previously approved requests

3. Successfully submit the web-based submission form.  

Data Request Review Process

Data requests are reviewed by the registry-specific Data Request Review Panel (see Appendix I) as follows:

1. Data request activities are coordinated by a Research Liaison to include managing request review, responding to questions and concerns, and overseeing the request and publication timelines.

2.  Two Data Request Review Panel representatives with clinical and statistical perspectives, respectively, review the request for scientific merit and feasibility.

3. The full Data Request Review Panel reviews the request for approval consideration.

4. Requestors are notified about the approval status of their request within one to three months depending on the complexity of the data request (See Timelines for Publications Development and Submission).

5. The status of a request and evaluation feedback is supplied to the requestor through the Research Liaison, including anticipated timelines for completing approved requests.

6. The approval status categories include:

1. Approved 

   • The data request has been approved and prioritized by the Data Request Review Panel.  The request is in an ACR analyst queue but not yet in active analysis.

2. Scheduled

   • Data Request has been approved and prioritized by the Data Request Review Panel.  The request is being actively worked on by an ACR analyst.

3. On-hold

   • Approved data request in on-hold until the available data set is sufficient for analysis

4. Denied

   1. The data request was not approved by the Data Request Review Panel

Data Request Execution

1. Approved requests are prioritized by members of the specific registry committee and NRDR staff. It is the goal of the NRDR staff and NRDR Steering Committee Chair to ensure a timely and thorough response to every approved request. 

2. The analysis is conducted according to a committee’s data request prioritization list and in coordination with the approved requests across all registry committees. The NRDR Steering Committee Chair guides data analysis prioritization across all registries. 

3. The start of an approved analysis may be delayed for reasons such as:

1. Certain research questions may be better addressed once the registry database has more data to adequately power an analysis

2. Unforeseen events can shift analysis priorities within and across registries

3. Unexpected changes in data analyst resources

4. When a research request reaches the top of the analysis queue, the NRDR staff contacts the requestor to confirm the start of the analysis and initiates analysis planning as necessary.

5. Ongoing communications, facilitated by the Research Liaison, take place between the NRDR staff, requestor, and registry committee throughout the analysis process with a focus on analysis results interpretation and description.

Publications General Considerations

1. Publications are generally defined as an abstract for a scientific meeting, manuscript, book chapter, periodical, or invited presentation.

2. Analyses for an abstract and subsequent manuscript generally must use the same data set. Exceptions include time-sensitive questions and results for manuscript publication that benefit from a larger sample size.

3. A primary investigator or author must agree to carry out the responsibilities as described in the Primary Investigator/Author Responsibilities below including keeping the review panel informed about submitted publications, e.g., accepted, rejected, under revision. The inability to carry out the responsibilities may result in the Data Request Review Panel reassigning the approved request to another investigator.

4. Authors must inform the review panel about the journal to which they intend to submit their manuscript and should consider the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR) as a first choice—especially for articles highly relevant to private practice radiologists and on topics relevant to private practice management. As a courtesy, recognizing the ACR’s NRDR infrastructure and corresponding research support, the JACR editor will be notified and allowed to review draft manuscripts that the authors deem more appropriate for publication in another journal. 

5. The data set for a specific data request may be used only for the purpose stated in the request and only by the requesting party and may not be passed on to or shared with a third party unless first agreed to by the Data Request Review Panel. Any such request must be received in writing and should be submitted to the Research Liaison. 

6. Researchers can retain NRDR data for 1 year after publication or five years from the date of data delivery, whichever is earlier, and after that time must destroy the data tables and analysis materials.

7. A request is approved only for submission to the specified scientific meeting, journal or other purpose. If ultimately, the author wants to resubmit the publication to an alternative venue or journal, the Data Review Panel must first be notified and approve of the change. 

8. The publication should acknowledge the respective registry(ies) involved in every data project (see Appendix 2).

Steps and Timelines for Publications Development and Submissions

The primary investigator or author should coordinate with the NRDR Research Liaison to meet timelines as described below.

1. Abstracts and Invited Presentations (e.g. conferences, scientific proceedings)

2. Manuscripts, book chapters, and periodicals:

Primary Investigator and Author Responsibility

The primary investigator/author is responsible for carrying out and ensuring the following per the Steps and Timelines for Publications Development and Submission section of the Data Request and Publications Policy.

1. Identify authorship inclusion and order for the Data Request Review Panel’s input and approval in the publication’s early development stage and apprise the panel of any changes

2. Coordinate publication development including circulation among co-authors, the NRDR staff, and the respective registry committee, and incorporation of edits and inputs

3. Collaborate with the NRDR data analyst/staff to draft the publication’s statistical methods section

4. Submit both a final DRAFT publication and final publication to the ACR to coordinate review by the Data Request Review Panel and any other individuals identified by the primary author or other contributors

   Note: Publications cannot be submitted before the Data Request Review Panel's final approval

5. Obtain written approval of the final manuscript from each member of the writing team

6. Coordinate submission per the published timelines.

7. Include an ACR acknowledgment in the manuscript as described in Appendix 2 of the NRDR Data Request and Publications Policy

8. Facilitate all aspects of the publication submission

9. Inform the NRDR staff about the publication’s acceptance or rejection

10. Monitor and inform NRDR staff about the date of the expected publication to support the preparation of marketing and communications materials ahead of publication

11. Provide ACR staff with a PDF copy of the final article at the time of publication.

12. Work with the ACR team to promote results, i.e., reviewing and editing communications about the results, providing quotes about key findings, etc.

Authorship

1. Authorship is limited to those individuals who make substantial comments and suggestions, per the uniform manuscript requirements of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors:

   1. Concept and design, acquisition, or analysis and interpretation of the data

   2. Writing and revision of the manuscript, and

   3. The decision to publish the final version

2. All three of the above conditions must be met for authorship. Primary authors will be asked to specify the contributions of all co-authors included in a given manuscript.

3. The primary author must discuss the authorship of the investigation during the early development stage of the project and consider the contributions of the Data Request Review Panel members 

4. The Data Request Review Panel members who have served as reviewers and advisors for the process should be included as co-authors per item 1. in this section. The statistician and/or ACR analyst should be represented as a co-author on the paper.

5. Authorship will be limited to 10 authors, except for select circumstances determined by the Registry Committee and the NRDR Steering Committee Chair. Specifically, the number of co-authors is intended to limit the addition of individuals outside the study and writing processes.

6. The final selection of authors is subject to approval by the respective registry committee and NRDR Steering Committee Chair.

Appendix 1: Role of the Data Request Review and Publications Panels

Each registry under the National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) will appoint members to the Data Request Review Panel. The responsibilities of the panel members include:

1. Data Analysis Review

   1. Review and guide prioritization of requests for NRDR data analysis support using criteria to include:

      1. Can the research question be answered by available registry data?

      2. Does the request duplicate other initiatives underway?

      3. What is the potential impact of the analysis for identifying important practice patterns, gaps in care, and opportunities for practice improvement?

      4. How does the impact compare with other requests?

      5. What data analysis resources are available to carry out the request?

      6. Does the requesting party have enough resources to carry out the project in cases where a charge will be incurred for data analysis and administrative support?  

      7. What is the intended method of results distribution and the target audience being reached?

      8. What is the previous performance of the requestor in completing timely and quality work?

   2. Ensure requesters receive timely feedback per the Data A and Publications Policy

2. Publications Review

1. Promote, facilitate, and monitor the timeliness of publications using NRDR data

2. Propose new or revised policy guidelines for publication authorship

3. Assure compliance with the NRDR publication policies

4. Establish standards of excellence for publications

5. Adjudicate authorship when necessary

6. Review, edit, and approve all publications and presentations before submission, enlisting the special assistance of registry committee members whenever appropriate. Reviews will be conducted pursuant to the following general editorial responsibilities:

1. Ensure that all NRDR publications preserve the scientific integrity of the study.

2. Correct factual and conceptual inaccuracies, if necessary.

3. Prepare comments to assist in publishing papers of the highest quality and clarity.

4. Avoid conflict with and/or duplication of other publications.

5. Adjudicate disputes involving publication issues.

6. Recommend policy and procedures for review and approval of all communications (written and spoken) regarding NRDR publications to outside groups.

7. Facilitate public dissemination of the research.

Appendix 2: Manuscript Acknowledgements

The primary author is responsible for including one of the following acknowledgments in their manuscript.

1. For manuscripts receiving data analysis support from ACR

• If ACR staff did not contribute to the development of the manuscript, other than to provide requested data tables, authors must incorporate the following disclaimer statement within their manuscript.

This research was supported by the American College of Radiology’s National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR). The views expressed in this manuscript represent those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NRDR or the American College of Radiology. The authors wish to thank ACR staff for assistance in the preparation of the <REGISTRY> data and acknowledge guidance and input by the <REGISTRY> Steering Committee for this analysis.

• If ACR staff contributed to the development of the manuscript, in addition to providing data tables, authors must incorporate the following disclaimer statement within their manuscript.

This research was supported by the American College of Radiology’s National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR). The views expressed in this manuscript represent those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NRDR or the American College of Radiology. The authors wish to thank ACR staff for assistance in the preparation of the <REGISTRY> data and acknowledge guidance and input by the <REGISTRY> Steering Committee for this analysis.

2. For permission to use existing/public registry data for a publication that does not require ACR analysis support, authors must incorporate the following disclaimer statement within their manuscript.

This research data was previously generated by the American College of Radiology’s National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR). The views expressed in this manuscript represent those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NRDR or the American College of Radiology (ACR). The authors wish to thank the <REGISTRY> Steering Committee and ACR staff for the use of registry data.

3. For permission to reference existing/public registry data in presentations that do not require ACR analysis support, please use the following disclaimer.

<REGISTRY> data used in agreement with the American College of Radiology and the National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR).  The views expressed in this manuscript represent those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NRDR or the American College of Radiology (ACR).

4. When citing a published registry document such as the data dictionary or other support document, please use the following citation format.

National Radiology Data Registry. “<Document Title: Version>”. Available at <URL>.  Accessed on <Access Date (Format: Month (spell out), day, year>. Example for the 3D Printing Data dictionary, if accessed on December 14, 2021:  

National Radiology Data Registry. “The Radiological Society of North America/The American College of Radiology 3D Printing Registry – Data Dictionary: December 4, 2021”.  Available at: https://nrdrsupport.acr.org/support/solutions/articles/11000073770-3d-printing-data-dictionary.  Accessed on December 14, 2021.