Under standard 8.1 it states that the reference date is January 1 of a given
year. If you are a new program seeking first time approval, you must have
accrued two years of data with one year of successful follow-up and must be
able to demonstrate one year of compliance with all other required
standards. In other words, if you are applying for survey as a new program
in 2003, your reference date would be January 1, 2001.

If you are in a formerly approved program, your reference date should be
noted in your hospital Policies and Procedures Manual. Your reference date
would also be on file with ACS. The follow-up worksheet will print out the
reference date providing it was entered correctly and no changes to the
original reference date have been made. You may request a change in
reference date when a cancer program encompasses problems such as lapse in
data collection due to staffing problems, lost to follow-up cannot meet
standards due to longevity of program etc., as long as five years of data
are maintained. A subsequent request may not be made for five years. In
the event that the reference date has been changed, that change would have
to be entered into your software system for the correct date to be on the
follow-up worksheet.

I would also like to recommend the ACS publication "The Complete Guide to
Interpreting Cancer Program Standards" even thought this is now obsolete
with the new FORDS just having been implemented as of 1/1/2003.

Good luck with your program.
sf


-----Original Message-----
From: cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 6:12 AM
To: cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Cancer Registrar Group] Digest Number 87


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There are 2 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. Re: Many Questions
From: dsimmon1
2. Re: Many Questions
From: donna_cal


________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 2003 16:42:04 -0000
From: dsimmon1
Subject: Re: Many Questions

--- In cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com, wenocancer2
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
> I am in the process of going through Standards 8.1 thru 8.9 and
> trying to document what is needed for every standard. I am on 8.1
> and already have a question so please keep checking this board as I
> am sure I will be asking at least one question for each standard! :-
)
>
> Here goes...
>
> 1) Is there actually some sort of documentation from the College
that
> states your reference date? I'm thinking not, which would just
mean
> that for Standard 8.1 you would just have to type something up if I
> actually want written proof, right?

When you run your ACoS Follow-Up worksheet from your software, your
computer will printout your reference date. This should be enough to
satisfy the ACoS surveyor.



________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 2003 17:21:07 -0000
From: donna_cal
Subject: Re: Many Questions

You set your reference date when you apply for your first survey -
and the COC keeps it on file. You must petition the COC to change
your reference date.


--- In cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com, dsimmon1 <no_reply@y...>
wrote:
> --- In cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com, wenocancer2
> <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> > I am in the process of going through Standards 8.1 thru 8.9 and
> > trying to document what is needed for every standard. I am on
8.1
> > and already have a question so please keep checking this board as
I
> > am sure I will be asking at least one question for each
standard! :-
> )
> >
> > Here goes...
> >
> > 1) Is there actually some sort of documentation from the College
> that
> > states your reference date? I'm thinking not, which would just
> mean
> > that for Standard 8.1 you would just have to type something up if
I
> > actually want written proof, right?
>
> When you run your ACoS Follow-Up worksheet from your software, your
> computer will printout your reference date. This should be enough
to
> satisfy the ACoS surveyor.



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________________________________________________________________________



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