Assessing the Accuracy of a Computerised Cancer Data Base

Abstract

The usefulness of a cancer registry to clinicians, administrators and researchers depends heavily on the reliability of the information the data base contains. In order to assess the accuracy of data maintained on the Mater Hospitals' Cancer Registry in Brisbane, a quality assurance study was designed. Data from the medical records of fifty cancer patients were recoded independently and then checked against that recorded on the computerised data base. Results showed that identifying and some clinical details can be collected with a high degree of accuracy. Less accurate details regarding primary site and morphology were found to be due mainly to differences in coding practices and to problems with accessing the medical records of cancer patients on a regular basis. This study has highlighted a perceived need for more specialised postgraduate training for data managers, in particular tumour registrars (AMRJ, 1990, 20(2), 66–68).