What role do cancer registrars play in medical informatics? The cancer registrar plays a critical role in collecting, classifying and coding medical information needed to study and develop treatments that will improve patient care outcomes in our short- and long-term future. Data is quickly aggregated as the registrar enters the information into a highly specialized, automated information management system which is, arguably, the most sophisticated and well-defined database within a hospital or geographic area that can be used for cancer medical informatics.
Recently, the National Cancer Registrar’s Association (NCRA) publication, “Medical Informatic Basics for the Cancer Registry,” defines this as: “Medical informatics is the intersection of 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 health and biomedicine. Health informatic tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies and information and communication systems.”
With the economic downturn and ongoing budget crunches, cancer registrars might be concerned about their future. However, nothing could be further from the truth! Their future is secure and their involvement in medical informatics, quality control, performance improvement and the study of outcomes is more critical now than ever before. Certified cancer registrars (or CTRs) are, and always will be, in high demand and needed for their skills in collecting, classifying and coding information for end results analysis. The required skill sets, resource and technology requirements for development of a nationwide program to effectively use medical informatics was outlined by President George W. Bush’s Executive Order in the Incentives for the Use of Health Information Technology and Establishing the Position of the National Health Information Technology Coordinator on April 27, 2004. This and other plans for combating cancer were discussed in “The Obama-Biden Plan to Combat Cancer” also published by The White House in 2010.
Ultimately, the efforts by cancer registrars at local, regional, state and national levels, combined with government and private industry agencies will enable a system of sophisticated analysis and application of medical informatics via the cancer registrar and their data management systems. It is clear that the cancer registrar will play a critical role by partnering with the major public and private health entitites in the United States to develop more effective treatments, effectively analyze patient care outcomes and find a cure for cancer as quickly as possible.
Cancer Registrar training is the cornerstone to Michele Webb’s website, http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele is a 25+ year veteran certified Cancer Registrar who is committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional education as a coach, mentor, motivational speaker and author. You have permission to repost this article as long as do not alter it in any way and give a link back and credit to the author on this website.
There are few things that we can be certain of in life today: death, taxes, and change. And, the rate of change is speeding up – and rapidly.
In a recent article, Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS Magazine, noted that by 1900 it took 150 years to double all human knowledge. Today, it doubles every one to two years and, by the year 2020 knowledge will double every 72 days! Just imagine our lives where information and knowledge doubles every 2.5 months. While Hardy is referencing a global knowledge base, healthcare is also impacted by the rapid explosion of personalized medicine, genetics and vaccines that is also growing at a comparable and astounding rate.
Cancer Registrars are profoundly impacted by knowledge doubling and keeping pace with change has already impacted cancer registration in 2010. This speed of change demands that the cancer registrar develops the mindset and skills to rapidly adapt to change by participating in constant continuing education and professional upgrading. In fact, keeping one’s cancer registry certification (or CTR) means school is never really over.
Today, Cancer Registrars must develop expertise in human capital, not just reimbursement or payer habits; master emotional intelligence, not just business competence; know how to collaborate, not just control; lead their healthcare partners through networks, not hierarchies; and align people through meaning and purpose, not reports and spreadsheets. The most successful cancer registrars will rely more on emotional and relational aptitude rather than technical, financial or even clinical expertise. Emotional aptitude is expressed as self-awareness, self-confidence, self-management, ability to motivate oneself and others, and empathy. Relational aptitude and skills are demonstrated by an ability to communicate, manage time, networking, team-building AND meeting the need and wants of people you interact with, and depend on, to perform your work.
Ultimately, the cancer registrars who succeed in the next decade will be those who can adopt a continual professional upgrading program that includes clinical, relational and emotional skill sets AND develop leadership in others. Cancer Registry leadership is not about getting others to agree with you or to follow you, but rather building leadership in everyone around you. Cancer Registrars will do this by developing the mindset, emotional intelligence, and skill sets so everyone can lead themselves in this constantly changing environment, thus aligning and leading all healthcare partners and organizations to achieving their greater goals.
So, it all comes down to this. The cancer registry leaders of the next decade will be those individuals who can develop leaders and serve the needs of their healthcare partners and organizations the fastest. Where will you be in the next decade? Lagging behind or keeping pace?
LEAVE A REPLY BELOW: What will you be doing to keep pace as a cancer registry leader in the next decade?
Michele Webb creator of the only monthly, online cancer registrar continuing education program, http://www.RegistryMindset.com, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar, committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional education as a coach, mentor, motivational speaker and author. You have permission to repost this article as long as do not alter it in any way and give a link back and credit to the author on this website.
“Serious people know we are supposed to imagine what could go wrong with our projects. That way we can plan for complications. We can fix weak spots before they result in horribly overvalued deals, delayed product launches, military campaigns gone awry, etc.
But sometimes we go too far in that direction. We spend so much time thinking through what can go wrong that we fail to spend an equal number of our 168 hours imagining what can go right. This pessimism makes us unable to see the chance opportunities that psychologists find are key to making our own luck.
The key is to strike the right balance. If you’re a glass half empty type, here are a few questions to start thinking on the bright side.
If the CEO of your company called you into her office tomorrow and said she was so impressed with your work that she wanted to put you in charge of your dream project, what you would ask for?
If you got an unexpected $10,000 tax refund check, what would you do with it?
An editor says she’d like to meet to discuss book ideas; a TV producer wants to discuss pilots. What would you pitch?
A non-profit you admire asks your advice on how best to use a $100,000 grant. What would you suggest?
You and a colleague always joke that you should start a business together. She calls on the weekend because she just got a rather large inheritance and wants to talk ideas. What kind of business would you like to start?
Your dream client sits next to you on a cross-country flight. What would you say?
Most likely these scenarios will never happen. But thinking about them is productive anyway. Figuring out what you’d tell the CEO helps you imagine the best direction for your career. Asking what you’d do with found money helps clarify your financial priorities. And sometimes fantasizing helps you get through tough patches, envisioning a future that inspires you to work toward a better life. If you ask me, that’s time well spent.
What’s been your most productive fantasy?”
————————————————-
Author: Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
The rapid pace of new scientific discoveries in medicine over the last 30 years is unlike anything else experienced in the United States and hints to the dramatic improvements in our nation’s health and well-being. Yet, across the system patients, healthcare providers, payers and the government is demanding improvements to a system that is perceived as costly, fragmented, and ineffective. Evidence-based medicine, and its emphasis on integrating the best available evidence with clinical expertise, provides us with a framework to develop systems and approaches to healthcare that improve the outcome and quality of life. When evidence-based knowledge is a natural part of our healthcare system it will ensure delivery of the care that is most appropriate and most likely to achieve the best possible outcomes for each individual patient.
Of specific relvance to the cancer registrar and the work they perform every day is the evolution of information technology tools used by healthcare providers and also as a tool for educating patients. The past two decades have seen an explosion of data and information relevant to medical care which is expected to grow by a factor of thousands in the coming years. But, unless this information is accessible to the right people at the right time, it will be useless.
In January, 2010 the cancer registrar began collecting and reporting data based on new standards and guidelines for data collection and reporting reflects the changes in science, medicine and clinical advances that will drive further studies in quality and used in the development of best practice standards and evidence-based medicine.
We prepared a short video for our continuing education members of Registry Mindset but want to share this with you as well.
One of Emeril’s trademarks is when he uses his special blend of spices to inject flavor and pizzazz into his food. But, have you considered putting the BAAM back into your work? No matter how fulfilling your work as a cancer registrar might be, putting the passion and excitement into the day-to-day work will require regular sprucing up.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to putting the BAAM back into your life, here are six things you can do to get started.
Do something bold. Look at your work and department and identify one process that can be improved upon. Propose a bold new idea that will make a difference to your cancer program. Change a policy or workplace process to be more productive or, heaven forbid – fun!
Become a mentor. Developing personal relationships makes your work more meaningful. Use the wealth of experience and knowledge you have gained in the cancer registry to help a student or a new cancer registrar. Sharing your expertise will validate those years of hard work.
Reset your attitude. Are you looking at the cancer registry future with a glass-half-empty kind of perspective? Perhaps you think your job, or the future of cancer registrars is bleak. Look at it another way: even if you were chief widget maker your job would have value. As a cancer registrar you ensure that hospitals, physicians, administrators and researchers have the data they need to best treat cancer patients.
Look for outside inspiration. There is far more to life than your work. Find a new hobby, resurrect an old one, volunteer for a cause you believe in, or sign up for a community “go green” activity. Being part of something beyond yourself brings clarity and purpose to your life.
Focus on the positive, eliminate the negative. Look for the good in the people in your cancer program. Give earned compliments and praise freely. Replace “I can’t…we can’t…” with “How can I help…or Let me figure out how we can make that happen.”
Reconnect with your faith. You may be surprised at how many high profile people and celebrities find that religious faith adds purpose and meaning to their lives. They believe that they are God’s instrument and that they find purpose in doing His work through them here on earth. Even atheists or those just exploring their spirituality can find faith to be a powerful motivator.
Most important, if you are looking to put the passion and excitement back into your cancer registry work you will find that it does get better if you put a little thought into it. Explore these six areas of your life on a regular basis and you will likely improve your impression of the world around you and find yourself living a happier, healthier, more fulfilled life as a cancer registry leader.
TELL US: How do you put the BAAM! into your day? How do you help your coworkers or fellow cancer registrars to reconnect with their passion for this work?
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb CTR is, a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar, committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional education as a coach, mentor, motivational speaker, and author. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way and give a link back and credit to the author on this website.
Update March 4, 2011: After we published this post the free ebooks site listed below was taken down from the Internet. The links to the standard setting agencies are still good. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Cancer Registrars can take advantage of many free ebooks, or electronic books usually in the form of a .PDF, to broaden their knowledge base and understanding of cancer and healthcare. While the registrar does need to pre-screen the material to ensure that it is relevant, there is an incredible amount of free information that is useful and appropriate. Recently Registry Mindset came across a website that numerous free ebooks gathered from the National Cancer Database (NCDB), Commission on Cancer (CoC), National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR), and National Cancer Institute that may be of interest.
This website has a wide range of free ebooks on just about any topic you would need, but we were interested in sharing with you the cancer-specific titles. Click here to go to Free eBook and select the titles you are interested in downloading.
Cancer Registrars are busy folks, just like everyone else. Sometimes it is hard to tell which “top priority” you should do first, right? This short video by Ed Muzio, author of Make Work Great, puts it all into perspective. This is a must-view for cancer registrars everywhere and worth sharing with your co-workers, friends and family. Learn how to define your purpose, evaluate your priorities and focus on where you headed!
Registration for the SEER 2011 Advanced Topics for Registry Professionals workshop to be held after the National Cancer Registrar’s Association Annual meeting in Orlando Florida is now open to hospital-based cancer registrars. This workshop is worth the trip alone! Register soon as seats fill up fast. Registration closes on Friday, March 11, 2011 at midnight.
Here’s the SEER description of their 2-day workshop:
“The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Advanced Topics for Registry Professionals Conference will be a 2-day educational session on CSv2 for registry professionals. Hospital and central registry staff will benefit from a systematic review of key Collaborative Stage Data elements, including site-specific factors with emphasis on the breast, colon, lung, prostate, and melanoma schemes. Additional topics include updates on major changes for v0203, CAnswer Forum, and a preview of the upcoming 2011 CS Reliability Study.
Educational presentations will be posted on the registration site 1 week prior to the conference. Participants will receive notification via email when the presentations are available to print or save to flash drives if bringing a laptop computer. Hard copies will not be provided for this conference.
PARTICIPANTS WILL:
Utilize the Collaborative Stage Data Collection System Manual (CSv2) and site-specific schema relevant to coding breast, colon, lung, prostate, and melanoma cases
Expand understanding of the data elements, including site-specific factors
Learn the major changes in v0203 Part I, Sections I and II
Expand knowledge of CSv2 data sources and availability
Interact with subject matter experts from the CSv2 Educational & Training Team, CSv2 Mapping Team, CoC Team, CoC/AJCC/CS CAnswer Forum, and SEER DQT “
This is one of the best workshops offered to cancer registrars each year. It’s low-key, informative and while registration is free, travel expenses are not. However, registrants are never disappointed!
