The National Foot and Ankle Registry (NFAR) is being developed in partnership with foot and ankle surgeons to offer a comprehensive and unparalleled nationwide view of foot and ankle surgery data.
Ready to discover insights that will transform patient care? Join the National Foot and Ankle Registry for:
Simplified Data Entry and Collection
Easily enter and access data, including patient-reported outcomes (PROs), through our user-friendly platform.
Effortless Data Analysis
Our dynamic and intuitive reporting interface simplifies data analysis and insight discovery. Generate engaging, in-depth reports with interactive dashboards and visualizations tailored to your needs.
Access Standardized Data
Easily compare apples to apples with our structured data that is consistently formatted.
Dedicated Customer Support
Our team is here to assist you with onboarding, technical support, and any questions you have along the way.
Participant Benefits
NFAR participants must be ACFAS fellow, associate, or post graduate members in good standing. As an NFAR participant, you will be able to:
- Monitor your patient outcomes such as complications or length of stay with your personalized dashboard
- Benchmark against overall registry data
- Integrate data collection into your existing workflows using data export from your EHR
- Create custom visualizations with report builder
- Identify techniques and care approaches that enhance patient outcomes and improve team performance
- Optimize operations, decrease readmissions and improve reimbursements through data-driven decisions
- Contribute to the future advancement of the profession by contributing data that can be used for research specific to foot and ankle surgery
Data Collected
NFAR uses modules to streamline data entry and collect information on variables necessary for addressing concerns of foot and ankle surgeons. NFAR currently features modules on ankle arthritis, ankle fracture, hammer toe, and hallux valgus.
A Diabetic Foot Infection module is under development and will be available in 2026.
NFAR: Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes (ePROs)
The College is pleased to announce that Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes (ePROs) are now available in the National Foot and Ankle Registry (NFAR) at no additional cost to participating sites.
The ePRO functionality enables your practice to automatically collect and analyze health information reported directly by patients, providing valuable insights into patient outcomes.
NFAR currently includes the following validated PROMIS® surveys:
- PROMIS Pain Intensity 3a
- PROMIS Pain Interference 6b
- PROMIS Physical Function 6b
- PROMIS Depression 6a
By utilizing ePROs, your practice can efficiently capture standardized patient-reported outcome data before and after treatment, allowing you to better monitor patient progress and evaluate the effectiveness of care over time.
Resources: Please review the NFAR ePRO Quick Start document to learn more about NFAR-ePROS and how to begin collecting and analyzing patient-reported outcome data through the registry.
For more information on how to participate, please see the NFAR Fact Sheet or contact us at Registry@acfas.org.
Find answers to frequently asked questions about participating in NFAR below. If you can't find what you're looking for, contact registry@acfas.org for further assistance.
1. What is NFAR?
The National Foot and Ankle Registry (NFAR) is a groundbreaking clinical data registry designed to empower foot and ankle surgeons with meaningful insights into their surgical outcomes, drive quality improvement, and support evidence-based decision-making.
2. Who can participate in NFAR?
NFAR is only available to active ACFAS members who practice in the United States and are in good standing in one of the following membership categories:
- Fellow Member - Board Certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS)
- Associate Member - Board Qualified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS)
- Post Graduate Fellow Member - ABFAS Board Qualified
To join ACFAS or for questions about membership, please contact membership@acfas.org for assistance.
3. How do I join NFAR?
To join NFAR, start by completing a brief application to provide the College with some basic information about your practice.
4. What data is collected in NFAR?
NFAR uses a modular approach to streamline data entry and collect information on variables necessary for addressing concerns of foot and ankle surgeons. The initial modules include ankle arthritis, ankle fracture, hammer toe, and hallux valgus.
A Diabetic Foot Infection module is under development and will be available in 2026.
5. How is data submitted into NFAR?
Option 1: Manual Submission
The abstraction time required for manual submission varies depending on the selected module, case complexity, and your data preparation.
- Standard Case: Takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes from start to finish.
- Complex Case: May take 15 to 20 minutes if multiple entries are needed within the surgical repeat groups.
Manual Entry Recommendations:
- Preparation: Gather your source documents, surgical logs, and follow-up charts before logging in.
- Staffing: We recommend appointing a designated user(s) to assist with manual entry. Other sites often utilize a practice manager or resident. The system allows for unlimited designated users.
- Resources: See the NFAR Quick Step Guide on manual entry and how to enter a patient into the registry.
Option 2: Bulk Uploader
Available for free, the bulk uploader tool allows you to create multiple records in a batch by uploading a specially formatted Excel file containing data for many records.
- Our team can assist your medical center with the setup process and help create the export file.
- Once established, you simply upload your generated export file once a month through the registry.
- Resources: please review the full NFAR Uploader Integration document for all required identity fields, ensuring specific data formats match our system requirements exactly.
6. What data should be submitted into the NFAR system?
Participant sites agree to submit data from the patient medical records for the ACFAS member(s) enrolled in the registry. Each site is encouraged to submit as many cases as possible.
7. How will the data I contribute to NFAR be used?
The deidentified, aggregated registry data is designed for the purposes of supporting quality improvement and healthcare related research.
8. Who owns the data that is contributed to NFAR?
Each individual site own all of the data they contribute to the registry. ACFAS owns the deidentified, aggregated data within the registry.
9. What support is available to NFAR participants?
Participants receive dedicated support from our team, including technical support, assistance with data submission, training resources, and access to educational materials.
10. Is there a fee required to participate in NFAR?
We are pleased to inform you that there is no fee required for eligible participants to join the NFAR registry. Participation is completely free of charge.