Reducing Death Certificate Only Registrations in Cancer Data
Author Information
Author(s): Pollock A M, Vickers N
Primary Institution: Health Policy and Health Services Research Unit, School of Public Policy, University College London
Hypothesis
Can linking cancer registrations with routine hospital data reduce the proportion of DCO registrations?
Conclusion
The study found that electronic matching could potentially reduce DCO registrations by up to 43% for the three most common cancers.
Supporting Evidence
- 66% of DCO registrations matched with hospital data.
- 72% match rate for colorectal cancer cases.
- 62% match rate for lung cancer cases.
- 65% match rate for female breast cancer cases.
- 58% of matched DCO cases had at least one procedure recorded.
Takeaway
The study shows that by using hospital data, we can find more cancer cases that were only reported on death certificates, which helps improve cancer registration.
Methodology
The study linked cancer registrations from the Thames Cancer Registry with routine hospital data using computerized matching.
Limitations
Doubts about the completeness and accuracy of HES data mean case notes must remain the ‘gold standard’.
Participant Demographics
Younger age groups and residence in the North Thames region were positively associated with successful matching.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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