From: "tpar4u" <tlparsons@...>
Date: May 12, 2004
Subject: Registry Policies and Procedures

Hi,
I have a question to ask of the group. I work in
California for a large HMO.
We have state reporting here and
past practice has been to always record annual
follow up on patients, with last
date of contact, vital status,
tumor status, date of first recurrence, site of first
recurrence. Our
organization is going through changes with
budget cuts. I was chosen for a committee
and we spent 5 days management and labor included
dissecting my profession and ways
to cut duties and streamline procedures. The end result now
being
just doing what is called passive follow-up. Looking at
our system mainframe computer. If info
is there on patient we enter date of contact, alive or dead. If
info is not there we don't generate a
letter or go any further. Cancer Registrars fought to include
any information we could on why
follow up is a relevant part of the our function. Also we
are being asked to increase productivity
standards and abstract 7.5 cases per day, the current
standard is now 6. 7.5 a day is enforced
and if not met we will be put in a corrective action mode
and disciplined and eventually terminated.
I'm in desperate need of some figures from other registries
on productivity and the amount of
abstract people are doing on a daily basis.

Thanks,
Tracy

Tracy L. Parsons, CTR
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