Cancer Registrar Tech Spclst

Summary:

Reports to the Oncology Data Management Manager and under general direction abstracts information from medical records of patients with positive or possible cancer diagnoses.

The information is entered into a computerized database (IMPAC) system to establish a Cancer Registry data bank from which to draw information for annual reports site specific studies data requests and to assist physicians with short and long-term cancer patient care evaluations etc.

Responsibilities:

Utilizes specialized software for cancer registry database management to establish import and export links to other software packages and to download and upload data for review and

Regularly exports new cancer care data to the Rhode Island State Department of Health utilizing communications software.

Retrieves Patient Disease Index and reviews against the active and suspense database contained in the Registry to ascertain if a patient is a case for follow-up newly diagnosed and requires accessioning into the database or has developed a subsequent new primary site requires a staging form to be appended to the medical record and/or completed/signed by the attending physician etc.

Reviews the entire medical record to ascertain patient identification data history of admissions method of diagnosis history and types of treatments and intent of treatment (cure or palliation) against the criteria for cancer case selection set forth by the American College of Surgeons (AcoS) the Rhode Island Department of Health Rhode Island Hospitals Cancer Committee and other regulatory agencies.

Abstracts cases thoroughly and concisely substantiating codes histology and staging. Contacts outside institutions for additional treatment information if necessary. Adds follow-up to all cases.

Interprets data and uses the ACoS Guidelines Collaborative Staging Manual and Multiple Primary and Histology Manual for recording extent of primary tumor and absence or presence of distant metastases ICD-O (International Classification of Disease for Oncology) for tumor nomenclature and coding FORDS Manual for coding and the Rhode Island Census Tract Coding Guide for assignment of Census Tract Codes.

Familiarity with CoC Cancer Program Standards and participates in continuous review of the status of compliance with Standards.

Accesses the health database on the World Wide Web to review cases lost to follow-up against various national death indexes.

Notes date of death cause of death and presence of cancer at death in the electronic record.

Receives pathology reports and reviews both clinical history and microscopic diagnosis to identify new potential and established patients requiring follow-up and updates information in appropriate electronic database.

Receives changes from other source lists from the Hospital Association of Rhode Island which are reviewed against the electronic databases for completeness and accuracy of the data.

Discrepancies are investigated before any changes are made to the electronic record and death information is entered into the appropriate databases.

Monitors and records lifetime follow-up

on each patient listed in the registry via phone contacts letters to physicians patients and other agencies as appropriate.

Compares daily obituaries in the newspaper and on the Internet against master files or registered and suspected cases. Notes date of death in appropriate electronic records.

Ensures staging form is in the record if appropriate and if not refers to appropriate source to obtain the form.

Participates in the evaluation of current and potential system capabilities against current and future needs.

Ensures proper operating condition of computer equipment making minor adjustments as appropriate and contacting others for more extensive maintenance. Resolves hardware and software problems. Ensures new hardware and/or software is functional and meets data requirements. Prepares and maintains related system procedural/operating manuals.

Occasional travel to local regional or nationally approved continuing education programs is required.

Other information:

BASIC KNOWLEDGE**:

Demonstrates solid knowledge of Cancer Registry data collection requirements of the American College of Surgeons automated information and data management systems including hardware and software interfaces expertise in internet research.

Requires analytical communication organizational and time-management skills to assess information needs perform quality assurance and reporting.

Requires interpersonal skills to effectively interact with various cancer registry data users within and outside the Hospital regarding cancer registry data.

Thorough knowledge of medical terminology anatomy and physiology disease processes current governmental/regulatory requirements.

EXPERIENCE:

A minimum three years progressively more responsible related experience in performing full range of duties of cancer registry including familiarity with data base developm

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