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.