How an informatics solution increased efficiency and reduced costs in a central cancer registry (CCR)

BACKGROUND: Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center (MCR-ARC) staff process more than 80,000 records each year, primarily electronic hospital abstracts. Records from non-hospital sources (e.g., physician offices and pathology reports) were manually entered into a database so any follow-back that was needed could be accomplished. This was labor intensive, time-consuming and a potential source of errors.

PURPOSE: To create a more automated way of entering reports into the CCR database.

METHODS: The information in the report in use was exported to a text file in order to identify the required data elements. A program was written to read and parse all fields into an array. The data elements were then imported into the database. Testing of the program was done with MCR-ARC’s Database Administrator, after which Certified Tumor Registrars (CTRs) tested the user interface portion. 

RESULTS: The program imports the required fields of the text file into the CCR database.  The only manual input required is the selection of the file for import. 

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: The program automates the process of getting the data into the CCR database. Since the reports were electronic, it only made sense to have staff enter records in the CCR database with little human intervention. This reduces the need for manual input and improves the efficiency and accuracy of the process. It also makes data available in a timelier manner.