[EPRD update-scientific development and health policy classification].

Abstract

Background: Since its foundation in 2010 by the German Society for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery (DGOOC) and its establishment together with industry representatives (Bundesverband Medizintechnologie e. V.-BVMed) and the health insurance companies (AOK-Bundesverband eGbR, Verband der Ersatzkassen e. V. (vdek)), the German Arthroplasty Registry (EPRD) has developed rapidly in terms of size and quality of results. With over 3 million data records of hip and knee prostheses, it is now the world's third largest registry for arthroplasty. The product database of the EPRD and National Joint Registry (NJR) is becoming the global standard. 2023 was a record year in terms of recorded operations and scientific publications. The results of the EPRD are increasingly analysing and influencing everyday clinical practice in hip and knee arthroplasty in Germany.

Prospects: From 2025, all EPRD clinics will be able to use the Oxford Hip and Oxford Knee Score free of charge for their patients as Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). In 2025, the recording parameters will be expanded to include surgical approaches to the hip, navigation and robotics on the knee joint, as well as an optional infection module. In 2026, voluntary registration of the surgeon with surgeon level reporting will be possible. The EPRD and the Implantateregister Deutschland (IRD) are expected to exist in parallel from 2025, and cooperation is still being sought. Data collection should be as streamlined as possible without duplicate data entries. However, the EPRD will continue to work independently of the IRD with its more than 12 years of experience and over 3 million data sets and will continue to provide clinics and specialists with its analyses and publications in the future.