title: National Breast Cancer Audit: establishing a web-based data system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An audit of surgical treatment of early breast cancer was introduced nationally in 1999. In August 2002, the Australian Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures - Surgical, under the auspices of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, assumed responsibility for managing this audit. This article provides an update of audit activities, now known formally as the National Breast Cancer Audit (NBCA), including a description of the new governance structure and the development of a secure online surgical audit system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Major changes have taken place in the design and governance of the NBCA during the last two years. Two committees have been established to oversee the audit. A clinical advisory committee comprises experts from a number of fields including breast surgery, oncology, government, and from peak breast cancer and consumer bodies. A technical advisory committee oversees many of the technical issues that have arisen with the development of an online data entry system. The online system of data entry was developed and launched to surgeons in May 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are now 28,000 cases of primary breast surgery in the audit. Around 250 surgeons are currently participating, an increase of over 50 surgeons since May 2004. Surgeons can review their data using the online system and compare their own results by generating reports which graph their own results against national aggregate data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There has been a significant increase in the volume of data received since the launch of the secure online system. The governing committees are working towards creating a clinical audit which will provide an improved data entry system and better reporting for all participating surgeons. The NBCA can also serve as a template on which to base other surgical audits.
authors.affiliation: Australian Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures - Surgical, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Stepney and Department of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boult
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuncins-Hearn
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tyson
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kollias
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Babidge
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maddern
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D012042:Registries; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D013629:Tamoxifen