Cancer Registrar Tech Spclst

Responsibilities

• Operates computers and peripheral equipment and is skilled in the use of various software applications necessary to develop, prepare and maintain computerized records and develop reports.
• Responds to user questions regarding system functionality, capabilities, usage, limitations and the like.
• Affixes cases thoroughly and concisely, substantiating codes, histology and staging.
• Contacts outside institutions for additional treatment information if necessary.
• Adds follow-up to all cases.
• Interprets data and uses the ACoS Guidelines, Collaborative Staging Manual, and Multiple Primary and Histology Manual for recording extent of primary tumor and absence or presence of distant metastases, ICD-O for tumor nomenclature and coding, FORDS Manual for coding, and the Rhode Island Census Tract Coding Guide for assignment of Census Tract Codes.
• Familiarity with CoC Cancer Program Standards and participates in continuous review of the status of compliance with Standards.
• Accesses the health database on the World Wide Web to review cases lost to follow-up against various national death indexes.
• Notes date of death, cause of death and presence of cancer at death in the electronic record.
• Receives pathology reports and reviews both clinical history and microscopic diagnosis to identify new, potential and established patients requiring follow-up and updates information in appropriate electronic database.
• Receives changes from other source lists from the Hospital Association of Rhode Island which are reviewed against the electronic databases for completeness and accuracy of the data.
• Discrepancies are investigated before any changes are made to the electronic record and death information is entered into the appropriate databases.
• Maintains lifetime follow-up on each patient listed in the registry via phone contacts, letters to physicians, patients and other agencies as appropriate.
• Compares daily obituaries in the newspaper and on the Internet against master files or registered and suspected cases. Notes date of death in appropriate electronic records.
• Ensures staging form is in the record if appropriate, and, if not, refers to appropriate source to obtain the form.
• Participates in the evaluation of current and potential system capabilities against current and future needs.
• Ensures proper operating condition of computer equipment, making minor adjustments as appropriate and contacting others for more extensive maintenance.
• Solves hardware and software problems.
• Ensures new hardware and/or software is functional and meets data requirements.
• Prepares and maintains related system procedural/operating manuals.
• Occasional travel to local, regional or nationally approved continuing education programs is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum three years progressively more responsible related experience in performing full range of duties of cancer registry, including familiarity with data base development and maintenance.
• Thorough knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, disease processes, current governmental/regulatory requirements.