Quality improvement

VIRTEX: Clinical Data Registry & Analytics Platform

VIRTEX is more than technology—it’s a strategic tool that positions IR at the forefront of data-driven healthcare. Together, we’re shaping the future of interventional radiology!

Quality improvement Clinical data registries Chiefs All levels
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What is VIRTEX?

VIRTEX is SIR’s comprehensive clinical data registry and analytics platform designed to transform interventional radiology through the power of data.

VIRTEX allows users to:

  • Access robust analytics for informed decision-making

  • Benchmark performance and demonstrate quality

  • Support research, innovation and continuous improvement

  • Play a direct role in helping to strengthen the specialty’s voice in policy and advocacy efforts.

VIRTEX seamlessly integrates with 195+ SIR standardized report templates, as well as electronic health records (EHRs). With its automated data extraction, VIRTEX provides real-time analytics with no change to your clinical workflow.

From insights to impact, VIRTEX provides:

  • Vital practice insights through real-time capture of procedure volumes, duration, case mix, outcomes and complications.

  • Support for quality and safety initiatives through structured data reports that let you identify care gaps and implement quality improvement activities.

  • Robust, specialty-specific data that lets you meaningfully benchmark your outcomes to local, regional and national IR operators.

  • High-quality, structured, longitudinal real-world clinical data that supports research, quality improvement, outcomes analysis, reimbursement and coverage, and evidence generation in interventional radiology.

How to enrollVIRTEX is now enrolling and is designed to support a wide range of practice settings, from academic institutions and hospitals to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and office-based labs (OBLs).

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Watch how the SIR VIRTEX data registry works

The SIR data registry is the way to grow IR and make sure interventional radiologists succeed.

Rajesh Shah, MD, FSIR

Director of Interventional Radiology, Associate Chief of Radiology, VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Rajesh Shah, MD, FSIR

Frequently asked questions

Benefits of participating
  • Improve the quality and safety of the care we provide
    To date, the IR specialty lacks a robust clinical data registry that demonstrates the value of IR procedures. VIRTEX aims to show that IR therapies can be first-line solutions that are often less invasive and more efficient than traditional approaches while delivering equivalent or better outcomes.
  • Compare & evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments & approaches
    VIRTEX can provide benchmarking, identify variations in practice, determine clinical practice patterns, and provide performance feedback.
  • VIRTEX can drive quality payment initiatives, reimbursement, and coverage
    The future of reimbursement and coverage is having evidence-based real-world data.  CMS is moving from a volume-based payment model to a value-based payment model, where you will need to demonstrate the quality of care provided and incorporate the patient voice.
  • Support research
    As VIRTEX grows, it will provide large datasets for research and publication purposes as well as support public health efforts. National benchmarking will allow hospitals and practices to compare data.
  • Monitor safety and effectiveness of equipment and devices
    Interventional radiology is a specialty that uses many different types of devices. VIRTEX aims to collect device data to monitor the safety and effectiveness of coils, filters, stents, catheters, and more.
Data collection

  • Standardized reports result in quality data
    SIR advocates the adoption of practice paradigms that improve patient outcomes. Standardized reporting provides many benefits including a structured method to capture clinic data that can be customized to your clinic workflow. Participation in VIRTEX requires the use of SIR Standardized Reports. Version 3.2 now available for download.

  • Benefits of using standardized reports

    • Reimbursement: increased charge capture, less report revisions and errors, and less denials

    • Increased dictation speed and efficiency

    • Referring physician satisfaction increase

    • Allows for registry participation

  • IT implementation
    No additional hardware, software, or servers are required to participate in VIRTEX. We partner closely with your IT team to support implementation and ensure secure system connectivity.

  • Accessing your institution's data
    VIRTEX is a modern, dedicated cloud-based platform designed to support participation with no impact to your clinical workflow.

    • No manual data entry for clinicians: There is no manual data entry or abstraction required from physicians or staff.

    • Secure and automated: Data are transmitted on a regular schedule through encrypted channels, with your institution maintaining full control.

    • No direct access to your systems: VIRTEX does not log into your EHR, PACS, or reporting software.

    • Site-controlled data sharing: Your IT team securely sends the required data to VIRTEX using SIR-provided specifications.

    • Data security and privacy are top priorities: VIRTEX complies with HIPAA and industry best practices for encryption, storage and access control.

About standardized reports
Protected Health Information (PHI)

  • Why PHI data is collected
    VIRTEX is using two forms of data integration: EHR patient data and IR data from a procedure report. PHI is required to link the two data sources together. Without PHI data, we would not be able to link collected data such as complications or specific patient outcomes to a patient’s medical history. Registries have found that PHI is necessary to develop actionable quality metrics.

  • Benchmarking
    Risk-adjustment models use patient information such as DOB/age, gender, and race to allow fair comparisons and benchmarking across sites. Standardized data collection across centers will allow for benchmarking and improvement of long-term outcomes.

  • Data security
    Nothing is more important to us than the security and integrity of the data residing within the registry. Accordingly, the platform uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to protect hosted data as well as encryption protocols, such as HTTPS and SFTP, to transfer data between users and the registry.

Cost to participate

  • Implementation fee
    VIRTEX has a one-time integration fee of $995 per facility. The standardized reports used for registry data collection are available at no cost through SIR.

  • Annual fee
    VIRTEX has an annual subscription rate of $995 per facility.

How to get started

  • Schedule a conversation
    VIRTEX is now available for implementation at your site. Email us at  virtex@sirweb.org  to schedule a conversation.

  • Designate a project lead
    This person will be the main point of contact between your site and SIR. SIR will work closely with the Project Lead to ensure that all steps of the process are successfully completed, from contracting through implementation and ongoing support.

  • Who to involve
    It is best to involve all key roles from the beginning (as applicable to your site): technology (radiology IT, PowerScribe® administrator, EHR IT), IR department and/or practice administrators, quality, legal, and contracting.

  • Contracting
    VIRTEX registry agreements are provided to you from SIR. These include a Participation Agreement, Business Associate Agreement, and a Data Use Agreement.

  • Technical support
    The VIRTEX Help Center includes welcome and getting-started guides, FAQs, and other support resources. You can also use the Help Center to submit support requests if you encounter issues or have questions not covered in the articles.

News about VIRTEX