Patient Registries
A patient registry is an electronic or manual system which compiles and manages information on identified subsets of a practice’s patient population, which share relevant characteristics. By using a patient registry, a physician can, for example, monitor the incidence and course of chronic diseases, and observe the condition of patients before and after medical interventions.
While simple manual patient registries function primarily as storehouses for information, electronic patient registries use practice management software to perform multiple tasks.
Ideally, a patient registry:
- tracks patient appointments;
- classifies patients according to severity of disease;
- generates reminders for patients and/or physicians and office staff to perform certain tasks; and
- identifies opportunities for possible quality improvement.
