Use of registries in trauma and orthopaedics

Successful registries depend on a variety of factors including adequate funding, trained staff and local leadership with engagement of key local stakeholders. Registries should have a clear purpose, be meticulous about data quality and ensure good utilization of the data held. Hip and knee arthroplasty and fracture registries have become well established in the UK, proving to be valuable resources for data assessment, reviewing outcome measures and benchmarking of the implementation of best practice guidelines. In more recent years, some registries have been used to highlight and compare the outcomes of surgical practices of individual practitioners. Data from individual organizations have also been published and opened to public scrutiny. The publication and interpretation of registry data can have a significant effect on the public's interpretation of individual as well as collective clinical practice and hence it is imperative that clinicians be familiar with the principles and practices of registries including data entry, analysis and interpretation.