Controversies in prostate cancer staging implementation at a tertiary cancer center.
OBJECTIVE
To assess accuracy of recorded prostate cancer stage after implementation of a quality assurance staging improvement plan.


METHODS
Genitourinary multidisciplinary TNM staging guidelines were prospectively implemented. Educational programs for health records technicians (HRT) and clinicians preceded implementation of the new guidelines. Patient stage information was entered into the Oncology Patient Information System (OPIS) as part of the usual operations of the cancer center by an HRT. Physician and HRT auditors performed a subsequent quality assurance audit on 97 prostate cancer patients seen over a 2-month period. Assessment of staging accuracy and reasons for discrepancies between the OPIS stage and auditor stage were analyzed and reported.


RESULTS
Fifty-four (52%) charts showed discrepancies between auditors. Of the fifty-four, twelve (22%) had discrepancies between OPIS and auditor, thirty (56%) showed discrepancies between auditors, and twelve (22%) had discrepancies between OPIS, physician auditor, and HRT auditor. Forty-three (41%) cases had no discrepancies. Reasons for discrepancies included: misinterpretation of the digital rectal examination (16/54), inappropriate use of TRUS/MRI (9/54) in staging, stage not assigned at initial diagnosis (9/54), misinterpretation of pathology (7/54), TNM staging confusion (4/54), OPIS update not performed (3/54), inappropriate use of biopsy data (3/54), disagreement between consultants (2/54), and misinterpretation of TURP result (1/54). Overall staging accuracy was 76% for OPIS, 65% for the physician auditor and 62% for the HRT auditor.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite guidelines and educational interventions, computer registry staging accuracy remains an issue. On-going audit procedures are proposed to identify and correct both published and institutional staging guidelines.
Sexton
Tracy
T
Department of Radiation Oncology, London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Center, London, Ontario, Canada.
Rodrigues
George
G
Brecevic
Ed
E
Boyce
Laura
L
Parrack
Denise
D
Lock
Michael
M
D'Souza
David
D
D002170:Canada; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000592:standards*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies