Standards for data management
procedures for hospitals (institution) and population-based
registries have been defined by different standard setters.
However, the scope of operations is similar: staff training
and qualifications, case inclusion, case ascertainment,
procedures for adding new cases to the permanent data
set, rules for updating or changing data on file, follow-up,
data exchange, and data analysis and publication. |
|
Hospital registry operational requirements are defined by
the Standards of the Commission on Cancer, Volumes I, II,
III, and IV (click
here). Specific standards are also defined by SEER and
NPCR.
For the most part, differences in data management standards
reflect differences in registry operation and are not contradictory.
For example, central registry case ascertainment standards
require coverage of all facilities that care for cancer patients,
whereas individual registries must check the records of all
services in the facility in which cancer patients may be identified.
However, registrars generally must comply with more than
one standard for case inclusion. CoC specifications for facility
registries identify the types of cases for which the facility,
or its staff, have care responsibility. Many states require
reporting of cases specifically excluded from CoC rules, because
central registries use this information to form a consolidated
record for the patient from all sources. Hospitals occasionally
collect data for cases not required by CoC or state/central
registries. Benign brain tumors, pre-leukemic conditions,
and similar diagnoses may be included by local standards.
|