Learn the nuts and bolts of joining the General Radiology Improvement Database (GRID) – one of eight registries that comprise the National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR). This step-by-step Start-up Guide can help you to get underway with submitting your data and obtain the most value out of your registry participation. The GRID is one of eight registries that comprise the American College of Radiology (ACR) National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR).
Benefits of Participation Overview
Fees and access to other registries: If your facility already participates in the Dose Index Registry (DIR), there is no additional fee to join GRID. For facilities not participating in DIR, GRID participation allows for participation in other NRDR registries at no additional fee. Check out the NRDR fee structure
Reports: Interactive and quarterly PDF performance reports provide insight into facility performance for quality improvement purposes and operational reports help ensure complete data are uploaded into the registry
MIPS Reporting: For practices and physicians participating in the CMS Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) program the GRID includes MIPS-approved radiology-specific measures
Support: The NRDR support team through the NRDR Support portal provides participants with help to get started with data submission and responds to questions and issues to help facilities obtain the most ongoing value from participation
Maintenance of Certification (MOC): GRID participation fulfills MOC Part IV requirements of the American Board of Radiology
Getting Started
NRDR Support provides resources to help you get started through consulting Knowledge Base (KB) articles and the ticketing feature that connects you with the NRDR support team.
The NRDR Team welcomes suggestions for how we can improve this guide and your overall experience with GRID start-up and ongoing participation. Please send your suggestions and comments to NRDRSupport@acr.org.
1. Assemble Your Team
Bringing together a team comprised of individuals who can contribute varied expertise will help ensure a successful launch and meaningful ongoing GRID participation. Team members could include radiologists, practice managers, technologists, and staff members who oversee quality improvement activities.
Note: To log in to the NRDR portal, team members need an NRDR user profile. Learn about the NRDR account setup and user profile permissions.
Example activities for team members include:
Managing account administrative activities such as setting up and maintaining site information, assigning NRDR user roles, and coordinating payment of invoices, etc. These responsibilities are assigned to someone who assumes the NRDR Administrator role – either the Corporate Administrator or Facility Administrator. If your facility participates in other registries, someone may already carry out these tasks.
Reviewing the GRID measures and determining which measures are most meaningful for the site and a data collection plan.
Determining the best data submission processes and who in the practice will gather and submit data. This activity is typically carried out by someone who has access to medical records including imaging reports from which data points are extracted.
2. Start the Application Process
If your facility is new NRDR: Review the NRDR KB articles for detailed instructions.
If your facility already has an NRDR account, only an addendum to the existing participation agreement is needed to register.
See how to add GRID to your facility registration.
3. Get Your Team Signed Up with ACR Login
Team members who will manage accounts, enter data or review performance reports need ACR Login credentials to access the NRDR Portal.
Certain ACR Login applications, such as NRDR, employ Multifactor Authentication (MFA) for enhanced data security that requires users to enter an additional piece of information when logging in.
Read the KB article ACR Login and Multifactor Authentication for more information.
4. Become Familiar with GRID Measures and the Data Elements Submitted
Review the KB article GRID Measures to learn about the types of measures available in the registry that include measures that aggregate data for either the entire facility or individual radiologists and measures that report data for each exam.
View a video that provides details about GRID measures.
5. Learn About Options for Submitting Data
Consult the KB article GRID Data Submission Overview to learn about the data forms (for submitting aggregate facility and physician data) and the options for submitting data to the GRID.
6. Review Your Reports
Learn about the variety of available reports that confirm if your data are being successfully submitted to the registry and reports that help you identify areas for improvement. The GRID Available Reports KB article describes the purpose of each GRID report, how to access it, and, for online interactive reports, how the filters can help you dive into the details of your facility's performance.
7. Develop a Quality Improvement Plan
Develop a plan for reviewing your reports to include who will review, on which performance metrics to focus, and the review frequency. By establishing a plan, you can better identify areas to target for improvement.
View the GRID Interactive Report Video that showcases how a GRID participant uses the GRID Facility Comparison Report to support QI initiatives.
Contact NRDRSupport@acr.org for questions or suggestions about GRID measures and reports. The ACR team wants to hear from you!
| Readiness Checklist for Participation in the GRID | |
|---|---|
Identify GRID team members for the example tasks listed below. | |
☐ | Manage account administrative tasks: |
☐ | Determine the measures for which you will submit data: |
☐ | Collect data: |
☐ | Submit data: |
☐ | Review reports: |
For Facilities Participating in the Dose Index Registry | |
☐ | Add the GRID to your facility’s NRDR registration. (Facilities already participating in the DIR can participate in the GRID 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 facility account for each site that will contribute data |
☐ | Review, sign and submit the NRDR Participation Agreement and Business Associate Agreement |
☐ | |
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 Your Data Submission Method (select ONE of the below) | |
☐ | |
☐ | |
☐ | |
☐ | Develop a plan for who retrieves and reviews the reports and the frequency of review. |