Cancer Registrar
Individuals interested in the field of health information technology (HIT) are presented with a vast array of HIT related jobs and professions to choose from, many of which are highly specialized, such as the certified tumor registrar (CTR). A cancer registry is a compilation of all cancer related data on all cancer patients, including their demographics, medical histories, diagnostic findings, and follow up assessments. This information provides health care professionals with the necessary data and tools to successfully develop, implement, assess and evaluate current and future treatments and therapies for the overall goal of preventing and controlling cancer (NCRA, 2002). The registry is also a key tool in providing necessary data to present statistical analysis regarding prevalence, success rates, morbidity and mortality rates for each type of cancer and is critical in aiding in research for etiology and prevention (German et al., 2008).
Roles and Responsibilities The main responsibility of the cancer registrar is to collect, analyze, maintain, and organize accurate and uniform information on patients with cancerous conditions. This data is entered into the local, state, and national level databases for various healthcare agencies (DegreeFinder, 2009). The cancer registrar may be required to extract needed information as requested by healthcare providers to assist in patient care or research. Requiring intense attention to detail, the cancer registrar must be able to identify cancer cases and abstract significant information from patient records to be entered into the registry through coding. To do so, the cancer registrar must possess the medical knowledge and education needed to examine patient records, pathology reports, treatments, and interventions related to the various types of cancers and then accurately allocate a specific code for the diagnosis and treatments that adheres to national coding standards (Mariani, 2004). Once cases have
Roles and Responsibilities The main responsibility of the cancer registrar is to collect, analyze, maintain, and organize accurate and uniform information on patients with cancerous conditions. This data is entered into the local, state, and national level databases for various healthcare agencies (DegreeFinder, 2009). The cancer registrar may be required to extract needed information as requested by healthcare providers to assist in patient care or research. Requiring intense attention to detail, the cancer registrar must be able to identify cancer cases and abstract significant information from patient records to be entered into the registry through coding. To do so, the cancer registrar must possess the medical knowledge and education needed to examine patient records, pathology reports, treatments, and interventions related to the various types of cancers and then accurately allocate a specific code for the diagnosis and treatments that adheres to national coding standards (Mariani, 2004). Once cases have
References: American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) (2009). Cancer Registry Management Cassidy, T. (2009). Needed: Cancer registrars in various work settings. Advance For Health Information Professionals, 16(24), 16 http://www.health-information.advanceweb.com Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2007) Davis, M. (2008). Cancer registrars’ work spotlighted. Providence Business News. Retrieved from NCRA news database. DegreeFinders (2009). How to Become a Cancer Registrar. Retrieved from http://www.degreefinders.com/education-articles/careers/ Gater, L. (2008). Reshaping cancer registry – connecting data, improving care. For the Record Magazine, 20(8), 16 http://www.ncra-usa.org/files/public/Summer2008_V35.2pdf Kaleida Health (2008) Mariani, M. (2004). You’re a what? Cancer registrar. Occupational Outlook Quarterly Online, 47(3), 34-35 http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2003/fall/yawhat.htm National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) (2006)