Blog

Hospital leaders face a growing challenge in managing cardiovascular service lines as both a clinical and financial priority. Cardiovascular disease continues to account for a significant share of inpatient utilization, readmissions, and costs, while performance on...

Multidisciplinary cancer care depends on precision. A surgeon mapping an operative plan, a medical oncologist preparing systemic therapy, a radiation oncologist calibrating fields, and a palliative team guiding expectations all need access to the same, current picture...

How can a hospital prove that its care is superior without sounding like every other provider claiming the same thing? For CEOs, CFOs, and CMOs, this is more than a communications issue. It is a challenge tied to revenue, payer negotiations, and long-term community...

Your patient registry data already knows where you’re falling short. Do you? Hospitals pour substantial time, money, and human capital into building and maintaining patient registries. According to the American Hospital Association, there are 6,093 hospitals in the...

Every hospital administrator knows the value of patient registries. But too often, that value is locked behind outdated processes, data backlogs, and unclear insights. Registries are supposed to support compliance, patient outcomes, and strategic decisions—but many...

What if the secret to staying at the forefront of cancer care isn’t just about the newest drug or device but about how you use the registry data you already have? In a world where patient outcomes and operational efficiency define success, hospitals must leverage...

In healthcare, data isn’t just numbers and reports—it’s the engine driving improvements in patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and profitability. As organizations evolve to be more data-centric, it’s clear: treating data as an asset, not just a byproduct, is...

During the month of May, we celebrated Stroke Awareness Month. This initiative brings forth vital information to help prevent and mitigate the devastation a stroke can cause. The American Stroke Association (ASA), the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Stroke...

The human body is comprised of 4 types of tissues. The four categories are as follows: epithelial, connective (including bone and blood cells), muscle, and nerve.  Epithelial tissues are protective and cover the outside of organs and/or line the inside of organs....

“You’ve got mail!”—a phrase that once symbolized the dawn of digital communication—helped pave the way for the technological advancements we enjoy today. However, no one could have predicted the overwhelming digital divide that these advancements would create. In a...

Cancer registrars rely on a wealth of manuals to ensure the accuracy and integrity of oncology data. These resources serve as essential tools for coding and classification, but their value extends beyond traditional use. By thinking creatively, registrars can leverage...

More than 18 million Americans have survived cancer as of January 1, 2022. For many, the journey to recovery continues long after treatment, often marked by challenges such as reduced physical function, increased fatigue, and a higher risk of recurrence. But did you...

The Importance of Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR) in Cardiac Registries In the realm of cardiac registries, data quality and accuracy are paramount. High-quality data not only drives better patient outcomes but also enhances the overall effectiveness of healthcare...

Cardiac registries play a crucial role in modern healthcare systems, providing valuable data for monitoring and improving patient outcomes. Hospitals that effectively utilize and optimize their cardiac registry program performance can significantly impact the quality...

ACHF Certification from The Joint Commission, offered in collaboration with the American Heart Association, provides comprehensive guidance to develop and enhance an exceptional Heart Failure Program. Here’s why pursuing this certification is beneficial: Benefits of...

The terminology in breast cancer lymph node surgeries can be confusing and lead to miscoding of the Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery field, which in turn could negatively impact research on treatment efficacy and patient outcomes. It is imperative that cancer...

As healthcare professionals committed to providing the best care for breast cancer patients, it's crucial to stay informed about the latest guidelines and standards. Let’s explore the key changes and enhancements set forth by the National Accreditation Program for...

Who really knew what their parents did at their job growing up? All I knew was that my mom pushed a pedal on the floor, listened to a doctor talk and typed what they said. I have memories of hearing typing and hearing the very fast clickety clack of her keyboard. She...

Testicular cancer is the leading cancer in men ages 15-44, but can affect a man at any time in his life. Risk factors for developing testicular cancer are family history of testicular cancer, abnormal development of the testicles, and being of caucasian race. This...

Patient registries are very much like human beings and we strive for them to be “healthy.” Like watching a child grow from infancy to adulthood, a registry’s size (volume), knowledge base, interaction, and impact to the organization grow and evolve throughout its life...

Public Law 102-515, Cancer Registries Amendment Act (1992) requires all practitioners and facilities to collect and report cancer data on all patients diagnosed and/or treated for in situ and/or invasive cancers, as well as benign neoplasms of the central nervous...

In the United States alone, there were 48,183 deaths resulting from suicide, compared to an estimated 1,700,000 suicide attempts in 2021. Suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts is a growing issue and can have lasting impacts on millions of people and their...

The Surgical Diagnostic and Staging Procedure data field is most commonly assigned a code 02 for biopsy that obtains tissue of the primary site, as this is a direct way to identify the histologic type of cancer through a microscopic evaluation. But what about the less...

Timely cancer data is a powerful tool that can create meaningful changes to healthcare standards as well as add value to your cancer program. Best practices for hospital-based cancer registries recommend abstracting reporting cancer cases 4 to 6 months after the...

Written By: Melissa Chapman RHIT, CTR I was invited to submit an abstract for the 49th Annual NCRA Educational Conference, which was held May 7-10, 2023, in San Diego, CA. “Abstracting difficult sites” was one of the many abstract subjects requested. Therefore, the...

Often during process improvement projects the team members become private investigators looking at the details, analyzing data, finding clues, and solving problems. This year at Registry Partners we developed a virtual escape room game so that all of our employees...

Picture a scenario when someone is asked to type or look up something on the computer and there is a person standing over their shoulder or watching them onscreen through a virtual meeting. The person typing tends to get nervous, makes a couple of typos, and then...

It’s an interesting concept, keep your certification(s) you worked so hard for, which you don’t really utilize, and find a way to make it worthwhile and cost worthy to keep it. In my case, I worked so hard to obtain the RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician)...

It’s fun to compare things now versus a decade ago. American life has changed over the last 10 years. TV shows have increased in popularity over movies, we commonly look up an address using navigation or with a quick browser search, and music is streamed these days...

As we are gearing up to end the first quarter of 2023, responsibilities and deadlines are undoubtedly at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Everyone is feeling rushed, focused, and committed to putting their best foot forward to start the next quarter. As such, we may...

Each year the Georgia Tumor Registrars Association (GATR) has the Debra Fortier Memorial Scholarship. Participants are to write a 300-500 word article. This year the topic was "Mentoring has become an important part of the cancer registry profession. Have you ever had...

The Oncology CTR Internship Program celebrated its 2nd year in February, yielding remarkable success to date. The CTR Internship Program has 3 main objectives: Help newly certified CTRs gain experience Build confidence and proficiency in case abstraction Become...

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a medical emergency that happens when the heart suddenly stops beating. Without quick action to revive the heart, a person can die in minutes. Recent data indicates that SCA claims a life every 90 seconds.  An out-of-hospital cardiac...

Cancer registrars are highly trained data specialists that capture a complete history, diagnosis, and treatment for every cancer patient. The data collected is valuable for research on prevention, screening, treatment, and overall survival for patients. According to...

Recent news has emerged on what looks to be a promising therapy for increasing outcomes and survival in patients with advanced stage melanoma: TIL (Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte) Therapy.  Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are immune cells (made up of both B and T...

How to plan and prepare for weight loss surgery. It's that time of year when millions of people make changes to better their health. For many, those changes include bariatric surgery. According to The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), there...

When you think about benefits offered by your employer, what comes to mind? Health insurance and paid time off? Tax advantages and free memberships? Either way, what’s important is that you take a closer look into these “benefits” so you don’t miss out on saving...