The CHRISTUS Spohn Cancer Network outsourced its cancer registry services to TrustHCS to address a backlog of cases and maintain an up-to-date registry. The cancer registry collects and analyzes patient data to evaluate outcomes, identify trends, and ensure the hospital meets state reporting requirements. TrustHCS helped eliminate an 18-month backlog within 4 months by performing remote cancer registry services. This allowed the hospital to submit accurate and timely data to state and national databases and better inform strategic planning and clinical practices.
Peter Jones, Smriti Shakdher, Prateeksha Singh
Clinical Synthesis Map: Cancer Care Pathways in Canadian Healthcare
Jones PH, Shakdher S and Singh P. Systemic visual knowledge translation for breast and colorectal cancer research. Current Oncology 2017 (in press).
The Clinical Map visually represents breast and colorectal cancer processes across Canadian provincial and territorial systems. A roadmap metaphor illustrates a system-wide view of patient flow across the stages of cancer care. Green “road signs” identify clinical cancer stages across the roadmap: Pre-Diagnosis, Peri-Diagnosis, Diagnostic Interval, Diagnosis, Treatment, Rehabilitation, After Care, and Survivorship (with Palliative Care expressed as an end point). The visual metaphor of seasonal trees visually connects these stages to the patient’s cancer journey from pre-diagnosis (summer) through treatment (winter), followed by new growth (spring) in survivorship.
The levels of primary, secondary and tertiary care guide the vertical dimension. Information and communications technology reaches across levels and stages, but is shown disconnected from primary care. The road-like pathways are colour-coded where experts differentiated care pathways between breast cancer (pink) and colorectal (blue). Where not distinguished (white), the pathways indicate current practices shared across the cancer journeys.
Yellow navigation signs indicate cancer events across primary care pathways. Starting with Prevention and ending with Long-term Care, these events show points for primary care continuity during cancer treatment. A parallel path below the stages indicates where some patients may also employ complementary or alternative therapies.
Significant areas of complexity generalized across cancer care are revealed in peri-diagnosis and the diagnostic interval pathways. A patient can be screen-detected (and then present to a family physician, shown in the breast cancer pathway) or may be initially diagnosed in primary care (white pathway). The circular pathways in the diagnostic cycle suggest multiple possible tests within primary care. With a primary care diagnosis, patients are referred and flow to secondary/tertiary cancer care. The stages of intake, biopsy, pathology, and confirmed diagnosis are shown, and the complex pathways of cancer treatment, shown on the map in a typical (not definitive) order of surgery, radiation/chemotherapy, and continuing treatment through assessment of outcome.
The Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center is the only one on Long Island equipped with the Varian Novalis Tx™, da Vinci® Surgical System and Gamma Knife® Perfexion.
This is an old article (2007) on the dangers of oversaturation of paramedics vs. EMTs. Well written, timely , and evidence based. Written by Matt Zavadsky. The original website, www.emsnetwork.org, is now defunct so I repost it so it doesn't get lost forever.
Cancer RegistriesObjectives• Cancer registry definition• P.docxhumphrieskalyn
Cancer Registries
Objectives
• Cancer registry definition
• Purpose of the cancer registry
• The cancer registration process
• Importance of the cancer registry
• Cancer registrars and their responsibilities
• Types of cancer registries
Summary
Cancer registries collect, store, manage, and analyze data on people with cancer. They establish and maintain a cancer incidence reporting system, serve as an information resource for cancer research, and provide information to assist public health officials and agencies. For example, physicians need cancer data to learn more about the causes of cancer to be able to detect it earlier. Cancer registry data also helps determine the approximate percentage of people who will still be alive within a certain time period from diagnosis. Cancer registrars are trained to collect accurate, complete, and timely data. There are three types of cancer registries: hospital registries, state registries, and special cancer registries.
Topics and References
The American Cancer Society offers information and statistics on all types of cancers: www.cancer.org
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides information on all health topics, including cancer. NIH website: www.nih.gov
NIH article on cancer costs projection for 2020: www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2011/nci-12.htm
Abstracting
Objectives
• Cancer registry abstract definition
• What information (data) is collected
• Rules that govern abstracting
• How the collected data is used
Summary
An abstract is a record that contains information about each patient from the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout his or her life. The abstract includes patient data about demographics, diagnostic studies, cancer staging, treatment, and follow-up. When they create and update abstracts, cancer registrars must follow abstracting rules set by their individual state central registries. Hospitals that are accredited through the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (ACoS/CoC) also follow ACoS/CoC abstracting rules and standards. Cancer registries transmit abstract data to their state’s cancer registry and, if the facility is ACoS/CoC-accredited, to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB).
Topics and References
Search the Internet for your state cancer registry. What agencies does it follow for coding structures and requirements?
The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries Data (NAACCR) Standards and Data
Dictionary for abstracting: www.naaccr.org/StandardsandRegistryOperations/VolumeII.aspx
The National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) standards for abstracting:
www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/standards.htm
Commission on Cancer quality of care measures: www.facs.org/cancer/qualitymeasures.html
Comparison benchmark reports and survival reports: www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/index.html
Coding
Objectives
• Coding manuals and applications used in the registry
• The importance of standardization
Summary
Cancer registries use multiple co ...
Peter Jones, Smriti Shakdher, Prateeksha Singh
Clinical Synthesis Map: Cancer Care Pathways in Canadian Healthcare
Jones PH, Shakdher S and Singh P. Systemic visual knowledge translation for breast and colorectal cancer research. Current Oncology 2017 (in press).
The Clinical Map visually represents breast and colorectal cancer processes across Canadian provincial and territorial systems. A roadmap metaphor illustrates a system-wide view of patient flow across the stages of cancer care. Green “road signs” identify clinical cancer stages across the roadmap: Pre-Diagnosis, Peri-Diagnosis, Diagnostic Interval, Diagnosis, Treatment, Rehabilitation, After Care, and Survivorship (with Palliative Care expressed as an end point). The visual metaphor of seasonal trees visually connects these stages to the patient’s cancer journey from pre-diagnosis (summer) through treatment (winter), followed by new growth (spring) in survivorship.
The levels of primary, secondary and tertiary care guide the vertical dimension. Information and communications technology reaches across levels and stages, but is shown disconnected from primary care. The road-like pathways are colour-coded where experts differentiated care pathways between breast cancer (pink) and colorectal (blue). Where not distinguished (white), the pathways indicate current practices shared across the cancer journeys.
Yellow navigation signs indicate cancer events across primary care pathways. Starting with Prevention and ending with Long-term Care, these events show points for primary care continuity during cancer treatment. A parallel path below the stages indicates where some patients may also employ complementary or alternative therapies.
Significant areas of complexity generalized across cancer care are revealed in peri-diagnosis and the diagnostic interval pathways. A patient can be screen-detected (and then present to a family physician, shown in the breast cancer pathway) or may be initially diagnosed in primary care (white pathway). The circular pathways in the diagnostic cycle suggest multiple possible tests within primary care. With a primary care diagnosis, patients are referred and flow to secondary/tertiary cancer care. The stages of intake, biopsy, pathology, and confirmed diagnosis are shown, and the complex pathways of cancer treatment, shown on the map in a typical (not definitive) order of surgery, radiation/chemotherapy, and continuing treatment through assessment of outcome.
The Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center is the only one on Long Island equipped with the Varian Novalis Tx™, da Vinci® Surgical System and Gamma Knife® Perfexion.
This is an old article (2007) on the dangers of oversaturation of paramedics vs. EMTs. Well written, timely , and evidence based. Written by Matt Zavadsky. The original website, www.emsnetwork.org, is now defunct so I repost it so it doesn't get lost forever.
Cancer RegistriesObjectives• Cancer registry definition• P.docxhumphrieskalyn
Cancer Registries
Objectives
• Cancer registry definition
• Purpose of the cancer registry
• The cancer registration process
• Importance of the cancer registry
• Cancer registrars and their responsibilities
• Types of cancer registries
Summary
Cancer registries collect, store, manage, and analyze data on people with cancer. They establish and maintain a cancer incidence reporting system, serve as an information resource for cancer research, and provide information to assist public health officials and agencies. For example, physicians need cancer data to learn more about the causes of cancer to be able to detect it earlier. Cancer registry data also helps determine the approximate percentage of people who will still be alive within a certain time period from diagnosis. Cancer registrars are trained to collect accurate, complete, and timely data. There are three types of cancer registries: hospital registries, state registries, and special cancer registries.
Topics and References
The American Cancer Society offers information and statistics on all types of cancers: www.cancer.org
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides information on all health topics, including cancer. NIH website: www.nih.gov
NIH article on cancer costs projection for 2020: www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2011/nci-12.htm
Abstracting
Objectives
• Cancer registry abstract definition
• What information (data) is collected
• Rules that govern abstracting
• How the collected data is used
Summary
An abstract is a record that contains information about each patient from the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout his or her life. The abstract includes patient data about demographics, diagnostic studies, cancer staging, treatment, and follow-up. When they create and update abstracts, cancer registrars must follow abstracting rules set by their individual state central registries. Hospitals that are accredited through the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (ACoS/CoC) also follow ACoS/CoC abstracting rules and standards. Cancer registries transmit abstract data to their state’s cancer registry and, if the facility is ACoS/CoC-accredited, to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB).
Topics and References
Search the Internet for your state cancer registry. What agencies does it follow for coding structures and requirements?
The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries Data (NAACCR) Standards and Data
Dictionary for abstracting: www.naaccr.org/StandardsandRegistryOperations/VolumeII.aspx
The National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) standards for abstracting:
www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/standards.htm
Commission on Cancer quality of care measures: www.facs.org/cancer/qualitymeasures.html
Comparison benchmark reports and survival reports: www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/index.html
Coding
Objectives
• Coding manuals and applications used in the registry
• The importance of standardization
Summary
Cancer registries use multiple co ...
The cancer registry can have a great impact on the growth of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This white paper takes an in-depth look at the topic.
US Federal Cancer Moonshot- One Year LaterJerry Lee
Presentation from former Cancer Moonshot Data and Technology Track Co-chairs Jerry S.H. Lee, PhD (NCI, former OVP) and Dimitri Kusnezov, PhD (DOE) to update on efforts that will help realize the Data/Tech Track's vision of a national learning healthcare system for cancer. These include NCI/DOE pilots, DOE/VA pilot, NCI GDC, DoD/VA/NCI APOLLO, NCI/GSK ATOM, and BloodPAC.
STEMI Systems of Care in New Jersey: interview with Bil Rosen of Capital Heal...David Hiltz
In this interview, Bil Rosen and I will discuss STEMI systems of care, Mission: Lifeline and efforts to improve recognition, care and outcomes for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients in New Jersey.
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 1 CLINICAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING 69CJO.docxjessiehampson
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 1 CLINICAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING 69CJON.ONS.ORG
C
Colorectal Cancer
A collaborative approach to improve education and screening
in a rural population
Marsha Woodall, DNP, MBA, RN, and Mary DeLetter, PhD, RN
COLORECTAL CANCER (CRC) INCLUDES ANY CANCER THAT starts in the colon or
rectum. Most begin as an adenomatous polyp and grow into the wall of the
colon or rectum before metastasizing by invading tissues or structures, the
bloodstream, or the lymphatic system. About 95% of CRCs are adenocarci-
nomas (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2017b). The ACS (2017a) projected
that 135,430 people would be diagnosed with CRC in the United States in
2017. Although the CRC death rate has been dropping for the past 20 years,
the ACS still estimated 50,260 CRC-related deaths during 2017 (ACS, 2017a).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ([CDC], 2017) recom-
mends screening for precancerous polyps for anyone aged 50 years or older.
Although early detection and diagnosis greatly affect survival rates, only about
half of the U.S. population participates in screening (ACS, 2017a). A fecal
immunochemical test (FIT) is a noninvasive test used to detect blood in the
stool that cannot be seen with the human eye (Tresca, 2017). People at home
use the FIT kit by obtaining a sample of the stool with one of the FIT kit sticks
and inserting the sample back in the vial. The FIT kits are then either mailed or
hand-delivered to a laboratory for blood detection, most specifically from the
lower gastrointestinal tract (Tresca, 2017).
The State Cancer Profiles report by the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
and CDC (2014) ranked Kentucky seventh for mortality, with a death rate
of 17.6 per 100,000 compared to a national rate of 15.1. At the time of this
project, the CRC death rate in Hopkins County, Kentucky, was 14.1 per
100,000, one of the highest in the state. The death rate in Kentucky has been
trending downward over time from 25.8 in 1982 to 17.6 in 2013 (NCI and CDC,
2014). Incidence and death rates are depicted in Figure 1.
In 2008, the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program (KCCSP) was
formed with the passage of Kentucky Regulatory Statute 214.540 to increase
CRC screening, reduce morbidity and mortality from CRC, and reduce costs
for CRC treatment. The goal of the KCCSP is to increase the number of CRC
screenings in Kentucky, using 75% FIT kits and 25% colonoscopies (Justia,
2011).
About 39% of CRCs are diagnosed at the local stage or confined to the
primary site, but 56% have already spread to regional lymph nodes or have
metastasized. If diagnosed at the localized stage, there is a 90% five-year rel-
ative survival rate, but this decreases to 14% when the cancer is in distant
sites. The survival rate for regional sites is 71% and 35% for unstaged. NCI
(2017a) projects that early detection of CRC could improve survival rates by
about 60%.
KEYWORDS
colorectal cancer screening; human carin ...
Keynote at NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference in D.C.Jerry Lee
Presentation at NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference in D.C. on how the Cancer Moonshot Task Force under Vice President Biden is using AI to help end cancer as we know it. Dr. Lee will discuss global efforts to empower A.I. and deep learning for oncology with larger and more accessible datasets.
YCN Breast Educational Meeting 2015- Cancer Registration data Caroline BrookJay Naik
Overview talk regarding the National Cancer Registration Service, where the data comes from and how clinical/cancer management teams may help to ensure accuracy
Advancing Convergence and Innovation in Cancer ResearchJerry Lee
Describes NCI's Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives activities (2005 - 2017) as well as data and technology activities of the 2016 White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force (2016 - 2017).
Austin CyberKnife presents the American Cancer Society Facts and Figures 2014 annual report outlining the estimated numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in 2014 as well as current cancer incidence, mortality, and survival statistics and information on cancer symptoms, risk factors, early detection and treatment.
The cancer registry can have a great impact on the growth of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This white paper takes an in-depth look at the topic.
US Federal Cancer Moonshot- One Year LaterJerry Lee
Presentation from former Cancer Moonshot Data and Technology Track Co-chairs Jerry S.H. Lee, PhD (NCI, former OVP) and Dimitri Kusnezov, PhD (DOE) to update on efforts that will help realize the Data/Tech Track's vision of a national learning healthcare system for cancer. These include NCI/DOE pilots, DOE/VA pilot, NCI GDC, DoD/VA/NCI APOLLO, NCI/GSK ATOM, and BloodPAC.
STEMI Systems of Care in New Jersey: interview with Bil Rosen of Capital Heal...David Hiltz
In this interview, Bil Rosen and I will discuss STEMI systems of care, Mission: Lifeline and efforts to improve recognition, care and outcomes for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients in New Jersey.
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 1 CLINICAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING 69CJO.docxjessiehampson
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 1 CLINICAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING 69CJON.ONS.ORG
C
Colorectal Cancer
A collaborative approach to improve education and screening
in a rural population
Marsha Woodall, DNP, MBA, RN, and Mary DeLetter, PhD, RN
COLORECTAL CANCER (CRC) INCLUDES ANY CANCER THAT starts in the colon or
rectum. Most begin as an adenomatous polyp and grow into the wall of the
colon or rectum before metastasizing by invading tissues or structures, the
bloodstream, or the lymphatic system. About 95% of CRCs are adenocarci-
nomas (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2017b). The ACS (2017a) projected
that 135,430 people would be diagnosed with CRC in the United States in
2017. Although the CRC death rate has been dropping for the past 20 years,
the ACS still estimated 50,260 CRC-related deaths during 2017 (ACS, 2017a).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ([CDC], 2017) recom-
mends screening for precancerous polyps for anyone aged 50 years or older.
Although early detection and diagnosis greatly affect survival rates, only about
half of the U.S. population participates in screening (ACS, 2017a). A fecal
immunochemical test (FIT) is a noninvasive test used to detect blood in the
stool that cannot be seen with the human eye (Tresca, 2017). People at home
use the FIT kit by obtaining a sample of the stool with one of the FIT kit sticks
and inserting the sample back in the vial. The FIT kits are then either mailed or
hand-delivered to a laboratory for blood detection, most specifically from the
lower gastrointestinal tract (Tresca, 2017).
The State Cancer Profiles report by the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
and CDC (2014) ranked Kentucky seventh for mortality, with a death rate
of 17.6 per 100,000 compared to a national rate of 15.1. At the time of this
project, the CRC death rate in Hopkins County, Kentucky, was 14.1 per
100,000, one of the highest in the state. The death rate in Kentucky has been
trending downward over time from 25.8 in 1982 to 17.6 in 2013 (NCI and CDC,
2014). Incidence and death rates are depicted in Figure 1.
In 2008, the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program (KCCSP) was
formed with the passage of Kentucky Regulatory Statute 214.540 to increase
CRC screening, reduce morbidity and mortality from CRC, and reduce costs
for CRC treatment. The goal of the KCCSP is to increase the number of CRC
screenings in Kentucky, using 75% FIT kits and 25% colonoscopies (Justia,
2011).
About 39% of CRCs are diagnosed at the local stage or confined to the
primary site, but 56% have already spread to regional lymph nodes or have
metastasized. If diagnosed at the localized stage, there is a 90% five-year rel-
ative survival rate, but this decreases to 14% when the cancer is in distant
sites. The survival rate for regional sites is 71% and 35% for unstaged. NCI
(2017a) projects that early detection of CRC could improve survival rates by
about 60%.
KEYWORDS
colorectal cancer screening; human carin ...
Keynote at NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference in D.C.Jerry Lee
Presentation at NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference in D.C. on how the Cancer Moonshot Task Force under Vice President Biden is using AI to help end cancer as we know it. Dr. Lee will discuss global efforts to empower A.I. and deep learning for oncology with larger and more accessible datasets.
YCN Breast Educational Meeting 2015- Cancer Registration data Caroline BrookJay Naik
Overview talk regarding the National Cancer Registration Service, where the data comes from and how clinical/cancer management teams may help to ensure accuracy
Advancing Convergence and Innovation in Cancer ResearchJerry Lee
Describes NCI's Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives activities (2005 - 2017) as well as data and technology activities of the 2016 White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force (2016 - 2017).
Austin CyberKnife presents the American Cancer Society Facts and Figures 2014 annual report outlining the estimated numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in 2014 as well as current cancer incidence, mortality, and survival statistics and information on cancer symptoms, risk factors, early detection and treatment.
1. AT A GLANCE Cancer Registry Services
CHRISTUS Spohn Cancer Network Texas hospital outsources cancer registry to get up-to-date
Corpus Christi, TX and stay current
Facilities
• CHRISTUS Spohn Cancer Cancer Registries: Often Overlooked, Rarely Caught Up
Network Cancer registries are an area within healthcare that is often overlooked by information
Memorial systems vendors and internal hospital information technology (IT) departments.
Shoreline
South
The registry is typically bypassed during electronic medical record implementations
• CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Alice and document management system evaluations. However, registries are important
• CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital areas within any healthcare organization, particularly where high volumes of cancer
Beeville patients are involved.
• CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital
Kleberg
What is Cancer Registry?
Location A cancer registry includes explicit data on cancer patients that is collected as an
abstract from the medical record. The data is used to evaluate practice patterns,
CHRISTUS Spohn Health System
is a six-hospital network spanning outcomes, and survival rates on the local, regional, and national level. To do this,
13 counties across South Texas data must be collected longitudinally, over time. Certified registries, certified by
and the region’s largest not-for- the American College of Surgeons’ (ACoS) - Commission on Cancer, are used to
profit charity care provider. consolidate data at the state level and then into a national cancer database. For these
databases to be useful, there must be at least a 90% follow-up rate on cancer patients
Employees annually. The national database is monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and
4,000 Prevention, which establishes federal guidelines that each state’s central repository
must follow. Each state may also have guidelines specific to that state. It was because
Patients of a new state guideline that CHRISTUS Spohn Health System Cancer Center was
Treats more than 4,100 inpatients forced to evaluate and find a solution for its program.
and 43,300 outpatient visits
annually. State Regulations Force Backlog Cleanup
CHRISTUS is a six-hospital system with three community hospitals centrally located
Solution in Corpus Christi, Texas and three small rural hospitals across South Texas. The
TrustHCS - Cancer Registry three community hospitals have an ACoS accredited community hospital cancer
Services program. Collectively, they receive 1,800-2,000 new cancer cases every year. By Texas
regulation, these cases must be abstracted to the state registry within six months of
diagnosis. CHRISTUS Spohn had a backlog of approximately 18 months. The backlog
was due to the shortage of Certified Tumor Registrars (CTRs) in Texas. The CTR
shortage is a problem faced by many states. For CHRISTUS, the problem was further
exacerbated by workspace constraints. In Texas, if you are not compliant with the six-
month window, the state performs the abstracting function for you at a very high cost
rate. The state will also charge travel expenses for their own CTRs. These were two
costs that CHRISTUS wasn’t willing to absorb.
877.686.1123
www.TrustHCS.com
info@TrustHCS.com
2. A Plan-of-Action: Registry Out-Tasking
The solution to the problem was to get people to handle the backlog and to allow these people to work
from remote locations. Tim Osterholm, MPA, Executive Director of Oncology and Imaging Services and his
team looked at several vendors to do the job. TrustHCS was chosen as the organization’s cancer registry
partner. TrustHCS performed cancer registry remotely, thereby eliminating travel and lodging expenses
with no space requirements for its CTR staff. Osterholm viewed the ability to perform the case reviews
and abstracting from a remote location as the only way to go for CHRISTUS. Even if Osterholm and his
team had found CTRs in Corpus Christi, there was no space for them to work.
Remote Cancer Registry - It Works
With TrustHCS Cancer Registry Services, the CHRISTUS Spohn team identified the new cancer cases
and pulled all necessary medical record information for the case. The documents are scanned or
electronically fed into a work queue within TrustHCS’s web-based system. From there, the TrustHCS CTR
team viewed the information and performed the abstracting function. Of course, security is paramount
and maintained along with complete audit trails at all levels. Within four months, the TrustHCS team
completed 90% of the backlogged cases. The remaining 10% was done within a month’s time. Maggie
Salinas, CRT and coordinator of CHRISTUS Spohn Cancer Registry states, “The partnership with TrustHCS is
really smooth and working great.” Once finished with the backlog, the contractual relationship continued
to allow the current year’s abstracts to be completed and the registry to stay up-to-date as new patients
are diagnosed. In 2008, CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital received full approval with commendation from the
Commission on Cancer. TrustHCS’s contribution to the CHRISTUS program helped the organization
achieve a perfect quality of data submitted to the National Cancer Database. Maggie Salinas stated,
“This could not have been accomplished without the superior service and dedication that has remained
constant throughout our alliance with TrustHCS.”
Cancer Registry Takes Center Stage
The updated registry at CHRISTUS Spohn is used to identify local and regional trends, create annual
reports, feed the state registry, and ultimately provide Texas information for national statistics. According
to Osterholm, registry information is also used by CHRISTUS executives and clinicians as follows:
• Strategic planning reports guide what new services should be provided.
• Out-migration studies identify when and why patients pursue follow-up cancer treatment at
other facilities.
• Volume data justifies new capital expenditures to treat cancer patients.
• Survival data helps identify and establish best practices guidelines.
• Outcome information measures efficacy of various protocols and physical performance. In conclusion,
Osterholm emphasizes the importance of keeping the registry up-to-date and accurate. He concludes,
“Registry data is just too important to be left behind. If the information is old, it loses its value to our
executives, our clinicians, and ultimately the patients we treat.” Can cancer registries cure cancer?
No, but they can help!
p 417.889.1123 f 888.705.0850 2131 W Republic Rd. PMB #108, Springfield, MO 65807