Certified Cancer Registrar II, Full Time, First Shift, Health Registries

Job Description

The Cancer Registrar II is a data information specialist that captures, manages, and analyzes a complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status for every cancer patient in the U.S. for the purposes of education, research, and outcome measurement. Cancer data informs researchers, healthcare providers, and public health officials to monitor and advance cancer treatments, conduct research, and improve cancer prevention and screening programs.

Responsibilities

Abstraction:

Responsible for identification, accessioning, data retrieval, data comprehension, and data integration in the full spectrum of all disease sites of cancer. May assist in coordinating Cancer Program development, assess and monitor compliance of hospital's Cancer Program with regulatory requirements. May serve as a mentor and trainer to Follow-up Asst, Cancer Registry I employees, and health information management programs' visiting students. Performs concurrent and retrospective reviews of patient medical records for appropriateness, protocol compliance, variances, and other review activities related to tumor registry abstraction and submission requirements. Utilizes data manuals of defined outcome measurements, terms, and calculations and monitors for changes in data requirements. Maintains data abstraction accuracy within 95-100% accuracy in accordance with federal/state regulations, ACoS CoC program standards, institutional and departmental policies and procedures. Understands clinical pathways to determine what types of treatment should be expected based on site, extent, type of cancer, and associated NCCN guidelines. Reviews data for completeness and accuracy. Pursues missing data necessary for abstract completion by contacting outside physician offices, hospitals, and cancer registries. Establishes and produces quarterly, monthly, and other scheduled reports in a timely manner; accommodate information requests from other Cancer Registries in a timely manner. Log all requests into the registry log per ACOS Standards. Assist with preparation of data submissions to the National Cancer Data Base, monthly internal quality reviews, and state audits. Ability to communicate effectively with physicians, oncology nurses, patients, as well as medical records/tumor registry personnel. Assists to solve complex abstracting and coding problems and acts as a resource for Cancer Registrar I. The Certified Tumor Registrar II will create an abstract of patient disease from diagnosis, and to assist with lifetime follow-up, and to disseminate this data in accordance with professional ethics. Reports progress of data abstraction efforts routinely to QA Specialist and assists to ensure reporting deadlines are met. Possesses advanced critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills.

Performance Improvement/Quality & Safety:

Coordinates and provides support for Cancer Conference/Tumor Boards noting attendance, stage, treatment planning discussion, and attendance. Attend Cancer Performance Improvement Committee meetings. Accountable for improving patient care through adherence to all patient's safety and quality standards, regulations, and best practices. Analyze and evaluates data and clinical information to identify performance and quality issues and trends, inform community needs assessments, prevention, and surveillance activities. Prepares statistical data for reports and graphic presentations for cancer-related committees, national studies, research, and in response to medical staff requests. In partnership with Sr. CTRs, providers, and clinicians, monitors the use of clinical protocols, standards of care, practice guidelines, and policies/procedures related to the Cancer/Tumor Registry. Interacts with the clinical staff and interdisciplinary teams to obtain and provide registry data and information for Cancer Center and system Quality, Performance Improvement, and Domain committee objectives and projects. Facilitates understanding of cancer registry documentation requirements to clinical teams, which may include face-to-face communications, phone communications, and discussion with physicians and clinical staff to include educational presentations as needed.

Informatics, Information Security, and Technology:

Digests complex clinical information to determine if data entered in the Cancer Registry software is accurate, complete, and valid. Understands informatics concepts and can identify data gathering techniques within the EMR to improve and enhance registry data capture. Assists leaders to deploy documentation optimization initiatives related to registry requirements and assists in assessing and evaluating documentation workflows for physician and nursing teams as they relate to registry. Competent using Epic and computer-related registry applications. Intermediate to advanced computer skills to be proficient in Microsoft Office applications; proficiency in data presentations. Participates and maintains a data integrity auditing and Inter-rater reliability process.

Professional Development:

Stays current with knowledge of industry trends to understand key clinical and healthcare registry-related issues i.e., workshops, webinars, literature, etc. Applies pertinent new knowledge to performance of responsibilities. Participate in educational opportunities annually related to cancer for allied health professionals, at local, state, and/or national level per ACOS standards, to stay informed on standard and staging changes and updates. Complete 20 hours of continuing education hours bi-annually as required by the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) and consistently maintain CTR credential.

Other Duties As Assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum Required: Associates Degree preferred and/or equivalent combination of education and experience in health information management.
• College level Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology preferred.
• Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) required.
• At least 2 years of experience in healthcare. 1 year in tumor registry case abstraction.