Learn more about how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is collaborating with three federal agencies and a number of academic leaders to launch the country’s largest health-system, medical-implant tracking program.

VA to Launch National Registry for Medical Implant Devices

Collaborating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Defense (DoD) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the program will allow the VA to monitor the safety of devices in veterans and their family members. It will also allow the VA to track quality metrics and strive to improve care for patients.

“The implant registry collaboration with U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Defense and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will enable VA to monitor the safety of devices in Veterans and their families, track quality metrics and ensure the best possible care for patients. Further, a medical device registry will allow VA to notify patients about safety recalls, identify devices when patients show up for medical emergencies with complications and track and compare outcomes of implants. The most common medical devices in the Veteran population may include: cardiac implants (valves, pacemakers, stents), orthopedic implants (hip and knee) and neurosurgical implants,” the VA wrote in an announcement earlier this year.

The medical registry will also allow the VA to notify patients about any recalls, track the outcomes of implants and identify the devices in a medical emergency. The most common types of medical devices among veterans include cardiac implants, neurosurgical implants and orthopedic implants.

Written by Alissa Sauer