A. Berthelsen, K. Duggan, S. Farrugia, C. MacDonald, V. Poxon, J. Prakash, M. Sharmin, SSWAHS Information Management and Technology Division (IM&TD).
Abstract
Clinical Cancer Registration (ClinCR) is a systematic, labour intensive process involving collection and matching multiple pieces of health information. Current trends advocate electronic data transfer (EDT) being a more efficient means of collecting and consolidating information. Issues addressed by ClinCR team include data volume and the interoperability of complex systems as the major challenges for achieving efficient EDT and ECR.
A collaborative project began, involving the ClinCR team, SSWAHS IM&TD and software vendor to enable extraction and consolidation of data from disparate information systems into a datamart. The purpose of the Cancer Registry Application (CRA) was to indentify new cancer cases, construct a patient cancer record using the ClinCR minimum data set and import this directly into the registry database. After much cooperation, testing and modifications, an electronic import file was piloted using CRA in the test environment.
Achievements after 2 years are:
- Customised, virtual web-based cancer casefinding and recording system
- Functioning CRA, interfacing with and extracting data from 3 hospital information systems
- Successful testing of extraction and import of data from CRA to test registry database
Within the cancer types trialled, changes to work practices are evolving. Sub-optimal results in ease of data entry and auto-population of unnecessary patient information were observed.
ClinCR is a vital information source used for improving patient outcomes, service planning and delivery. With data linkage from multiple sources on the horizon, challenges regarding the quality of imported information, mammoth task of case validation and filtration of excessive unwanted records need to be surmounted to support data integrity. The idealistic concept of ECR appears too far in the distance; but the authors anticipate that overtime, CRA will overcome the inefficiencies and barriers to data exchange and ECR.
Will it be heaven on earth or another type of hell?