|
Casefinding is a system for locating every patient-inpatient
or outpatient, who is diagnosed and/or treated with a reportable
diagnosis. Casefinding is like casting a net far and wide
to "capture" all of the reportable cancer cases.
|
|
In the casefinding process, a tracking
system is kept so that the status of casefinding can
be ascertained at any time. A printout of cases already
entered is also kept in the registry; potential new
cases can be checked against the list and eliminated
if they have already been identified.
|
All registries must perform casefinding, including hospital-specific
and central or population-based registries. Although these
registries may use different source documents, the procedures
involved in casefinding cycles are similar.
Most government agencies only require malignant (ICD-O behavior
codes 2 and 3) cases to be included in the registry. However,
hospital cancer committees or even some central registries
may require the registry to include benign or borderline/uncertain
cases. Examples include benign brain tumors or carcinoid tumors
of the appendix.
The cancer committee must decide the data set and policy
as to whether patient follow-up is done for the reportable
cases... but also to establish the reportable list. The reportable
list should be posted in the registry's policies and procedures.
The casefinding
cycle would be the same for these cases as for the cases
required by the government agencies.
The criteria for eligible cases in a registry depend upon
the governing agencies of the registry. Along with state-specific
reportable cases, registries participating in the Approvals
Program of the Commission on Cancer (COC) of the American
College of Surgeons (ACoS)
must use the reportable
list defined by the COC.
Casefinding is an important part of the cancer registry.
A system to monitor prospective cases must be in place in
different areas of an institution. The completeness of casefinding
must be monitored for quality control purposes.
Click here for
a diagram showing a schematic of hospital registry organization.
|
