• Informatics Now & in the Future
• Success Stories
• Informatics Guidebook
• EHR Policy Organization Networking

INFORMATICS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

The Informatics Committee is charged with the task of reaching out the NCRA membership in a survey format to gain a better understanding of our member’s experiences in managing the changes being implemented through electronic medical record sources. This information will be gathered and updated in the Guidebook on Informatics and the NCRA website.

To help each member develop a better understanding of the application of electronic medical records and the impact they continue to have on the Cancer Registry, the Informatics Committee has developed a definition of Cancer Informatics.

Cancer informatics is the intersection of information science, computer science and health care. It deals with the resources, devices and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval and use of information in cancer. Health informatics tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems.

INFORMATICS IN THE FIELD OF CANCER REGISTRY - TELL YOUR STORY

Read Featured Success Stories. [PDF]

The Informatics Committee seeks to support the NCRA membership and its partners in the field of Cancer Registry with updated information on what Cancer Registrars are experiencing in the field as Cancer Informatics gains a greater role in the day to day operations of your Registry. Please share with us your story of how Informatics has impacted your career and registry. The Informatics Committee may select your story to be shared with others through the website, online groups and through panel discussions.

Submit your story or written narrative of your experiences to NCRA. Feel free to use the questions as a guide, but we also welcome your expanded experience beyond the questions provided if you feel that your experience whether common or unique would be helpful to others in the registry field.

1. When and how were you introduced to Informatics?
2. How has Informatics impacted your day to day responsibilities as a Cancer Registrar?
3. What education, on the job, and professional aides have your used to gain a better understanding of Informatics?
4. What are, and have been, your greatest challenges regarding Informatics?
5. Is Informatics important in your professional life as a registrar?
6. What advice would you give cancer registrars regarding Informatics?
7. Describe what you consider an innovative use of computer hardware/software in your registry to solve a data Collection/analysis/reporting problem, management problem, or communication problem. Include: A description of the problem and the solution.
8. Are you willing to participate in a phone interview that may be used in a “panel discussion” article submitted to the Journal of Registry Management on the opportunities and challenges that electronic health records present to cancer registries?

INFORMATICS GUIDEBOOK

The Guidebook on Informatics provides guidance to Cancer Registry professionals, increasing their understanding and compliance with mandatory changes in the field of medical record storage, data collection and information transfer. This Guidebook is available to member for free and can be accessed through the NCRA store. A nominal fee of $5.00 is charged to non-members.

Download your copy of the Guidebook.

Download the 'Brochure on Informatics and the Cancer Registry' [NCRA Education Foundation]

EHR POLICY ORGANIZATION NETWORKING

The Electronic Health Record Policy Organization Networking Subcommittee of the Informatics Committee seeks to keep the NCRA membership informed of legislation, organizations, events, and other forces driving the development of the electronic health record, and include our voice in the process.

Our mission is to:
• identify organizations engaged in the development and implementation of standards for the collection, storage, interpretation, and communication of health data via electronic technologies;
• monitor the integration of these standards into the EHR and to assess the impact such standards may have on Cancer Registry activities;
• comment on proposed national standards that may have an impact on the work conducted by the NCRA membership;
• report findings to the NCRA Board and membership and to partner organizations such as the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR); and
• provide information to assist the Board and membership in taking advantage of opportunities inherent in electronic cancer data and meeting challenges in adopting new practices.

The committee welcomes new members interested in exploring the many avenues of policies, standards, and products related to the realization of the electronic health record; sharing their experiences; and communicating with the membership. Our goal is to stay current as a community with news events that will significantly affect how we do our daily work.

Download the 'Electronic Health Record and Informatics Bibliography of Resources and Publications for the Cancer Registrar'
Forward updates or additions to this document to NCRA.