Fulfilling a cancer program’s mission through clinical data and expertise:
Introduction
The partner, a cancer center that is part of a large urban health system, collaborates with thousands of patients each year to treat their cancer using the latest technology and state-of-the-art techniques. Opened in 2003, the cancer center’s purpose is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in their state through prevention and screening, treatment, research, and education. Recognizing that research is the key to improving all phases of cancer services, the cancer center focuses on research to improve patient outcomes, as well as basic scientific, clinical, and population-based studies.
About the partner
Home to one of the largest public hospitals in the US
In 2017 the cancer center was awarded a prestigious grant and became part of a national alliance to advance patient centered cancer care
Earned the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification which is awarded to outpatient hematology/oncology practices that meet the highest, national standards for delivering quality cancer care
Challenges
The partner faced challenges with their cancer registry and needed third-party clinical data management help in solving the issues and improve their registry. Initially, there were obstacles to overcome such as registry backlog, necessary updates to registry procedures, required remote integration with the cancer center’s multiple tumor conference meetings, and collaborative development of mutually agreeable reporting, meeting and communication expectations.
Outcomes
The program ramp was challenging for both sides as it took time and effort to identify the right personnel fit and to establish successful communication and trust. However, once these important pieces were in place, the relationship flourished and together the partner achieved multiple goals, including:
- Implementation of new automated case finding process to improve overall case capture and workflow efficiency
- Achievement of the state’s Central Registry completeness award
- A prestigious grant award making the cancer center a part of a national alliance to advance patient centered cancer care
- Successful re-accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)
- Achievement of the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification
Conclusion
The clinical data experts and team have become trusted partners of the partner’s cancer program team, providing valuable data and expertise to help them to achieve their mission. “The work you do is invaluable, and we are so glad to have you on our team” said the vice president of the cancer. “Thank you for helping us continue to move our mission forward. We could not do it without you.” By partnering a third-party clinical data management provider, providing solutions around people, processes and technology, the health system was able to over-come the challenges faced by their cancer registry and successfully achieve the cancer center’s mission of providing patient-focused services that emphasize access, customer service, cultural competence, and the highest level of ethics and fiscal responsibility.