Report title: Development and validation of two clinical prediction models to inform clinical decision-making for lumbar spinal fusion surgery for degenerative disorders and rehabilitation following surgery: protocol for a prospective observational study  

In 2019, Amplitude Clinical Outcome’s Managing Director, Susan Williams, commissioned the University of Birmingham to undertake several research projects in collaboration with the Registries that use the Amplitude platform. One such project was based on the British Spine Registry, which wanted to investigate whether data from their registry could successfully enable predictions to be made regarding surgery and rehabilitation based on the risk of poor outcome following surgery.   

Dr Alison B Rushton, Professor and Director at The School of Physical Therapy, led the research project on behalf of the University of Birmingham. The outcomes and implications of the research paper were significant, and included: 

• The study will enable predictions to be made regarding surgery and rehabilitation based on the risk of poor outcome following surgery.  
• The resulting estimates of risk will be used to inform clinical decision-making regarding LSFS and rehabilitation interventions in line with guidelines, and future research investigating effectiveness of surgical and rehabilitation interventions. 
• Future implementation of the models will enable targeting surgical and rehabilitation resources at patients with the greatest clinical need and potential benefit.  
• The study will enable improved effectiveness (both clinical and cost) as it will identify which patients to target with surgery, and post-LSFS which patients to target with rehabilitation. 

The full report has now been published in numerous leading medical journals, including BMJ Journals and ResearchGate. The project has also been supported by the British Spine Registry, which has worked in collaboration with the University of Birmingham.  

The widespread publishing of this report demonstrates the value of the data that is being captured by the British Spine Registry, and other registries. It also illustrates how such a detailed and dynamic level of data collection can actively assist and guide clinical practice to the benefit of future patients. 

This study also demonstrates that the process of capturing data as part of a clinical routine is a first for hospitals. In addition, data capture is no longer limited to just research and educational hospitals, so any hospital that wishes to submit its data to an online registry can do so. This means that the amount of data registries are receiving has increased exponentially, which in turn has significantly increased the validity of their research findings.