Cancer Registry remote access in CUH ‘a success’

A National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) pilot to receive remote access data from Cork University Hospital (CUH) has been deemed a success, with the Registry hoping to extend this access across other hospitals, this newspaper has learned.

“NCRI has received remote access to CUH, and this has worked out extremely well, not least due to positive engagement from CUH IT, from their Head of IT through to their helpdesk,” a Registry spokesperson told the Medical Independent (MI).

“As well as receiving remote access, NCRI has also received a designated office in CUH, which can only have an added positive effect on cancer registration.”

The NCRI hopes to see this remote access system extended to other hospitals.

“The NCRI vision is to streamline NCRI access to hospital IT systems in order to achieve consistent access across all cancer-related services, which will provide timely access to data,” said the spokesperson.

“Remote access will complement other forms of electronic data NCRI currently receives. Work is ongoing to establish remote access with IT hospital systems which are related to our cancer registration process where feasible.”

This newspaper first reported in June last year that the Registry was seeking remote access to data from hospitals.

In recent years, concerns had been raised at NCRI board meetings about securing adequate accommodation for cancer data registrars (CDRs) at hospitals.

At its October 2018 meeting, the board heard these issues “would be alleviated” if remote access to hospital data was permitted.

Last year, an NCRI spokesperson told MI that remote access was “important, as office accommodation in some hospitals is limited. Sourcing, such accommodation for non-hospital staff, such as CDRs, is a challenge and takes a considerable amount of time for NCRI to organise.

“Remote access would eliminate such time-consuming efforts and allow faster access to data. It would also leave more office space available for hospital staff.”