The year 1997 marked 30 years since the first total hip replacement had been performed in New Zealand and as a way of recognising this milestone it was unanimously agreed by the membership of the NZOA to adopt a proposal by the then President, Alastair Rothwell to set up a National Joint Registry.
Surgeon and Hospital Reports
It was agreed that every six months reports were to be generated from the Registry data base for primary and revision hip and knee replacements and to consist of:
*the number of procedures performed by the individual surgeon or at the hospital;
*the total number of procedures performed in the region in which the surgeon works;
*the national total and cumulative totals for each of these categories.
Since 2008 each surgeon also receives their individual revision rate for their registered primary arthroplasties, and the reports have become annual rather than six monthly. The National Joint Registry was introduced as a planned staged procedure.
Stage I November 1997 to March 1998
The base administrative structure was established. The data forms and the data base were developed and a trial was performed at Burwood Hospital.
Stage II April 1998 to June 1998
Further trialling was performed throughout the Christchurch Hospitals and the data forms and information packages were further refined.
Stage III July 1998 to March 1999
The data collection was expanded into five selected New Zealand regions for trial and assessment. Also during this time communication networks and the distribution of information packages into the remaining regions of New Zealand were carried out.
Stage IV April 1 1999 the National Joint Registry became fully operational throughout New Zealand.
