The Registry Chosen
The current assignment focuses on the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC). According to Chapter 6 (n.d.), a cancer registry is an information system that considers the epidemiology of the disease, its treatments, and outcomes, as well as reports this data to state and national agencies. It is a generalized definition, but the answers to the following questions will contribute to a more comprehensive analysis of the BCSC.
Potential Participants of the Registry
The name implies that this registry only focuses on breast cancer. This information denotes that it is suitable for women who have this condition or meet some risk factors and want to know more about the issue. Simultaneously, the resource is beneficial because it aims to “improve the delivery and quality of breast cancer screening and related outcomes in the United States” (Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium [BCSC], n.d.a, para. 1). That is why women actively participate in the selected consortium of registries.
The History of the Registry
The BCSC is a relatively young body that was established in the late 20th century. It emerged in 1994 as a combination of six active and two historic breast imaging registries (Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium [BCSC], n.d.a). The resource was created to meet two specific objectives, which were to improve understanding of the breast cancer screening process and facilitate mammography screening practices. This information demonstrates that the body performs essential functions in the community.
Funding of the Registry
This registry has sufficient economic resources to promote its operation. According to its official website, various grants represent the registry’s funding. They include money from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Agency for Health Research and Quality, and other establishments from different states (Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium [BCSC], n.d.b). These numerous funding sources provide the BCSC with robust financial stability.
The Importance of Registries to the Healthcare Field
It is challenging to overestimate the significance of registries to the medical sphere. These resources collect and synthesize information about the epidemiology, treatment, risk factors, and outcomes of specific health conditions. Medical professionals and researchers can access these registries to find valuable and credible information. Thus, one can state that registries and the BCSC are not an exception, facilitating medical practice and research to improve care delivery.
Types of Information and Data Sent to the Registry
The objectives mentioned above demonstrate that the registry relies on particular data types. On the one hand, the BCSC includes mammography screening results of women with and without a breast cancer history. On the other hand, the given consortium focuses on various screening practices to identify their effectiveness levels. The registry further processes and analyzes this data to make reasonable conclusions and improve the quality of care.
The Importance of Secondary Data to the Healthcare Field
Secondary data implies data that was collected by third parties for various purposes. In particular, such details can be found in insurance claims, government publications, surveys, experiments, and other sources. It is secondary because it was collected for other purposes. For example, if a registry analyzes the effectiveness of hypertension treatment, it can collect appropriate information from other studies or databases. The main advantages of secondary data include that it helps organizations save time and resources collecting the required information.
The Type of Policy Protecting the Information in the Chosen Registry’s System
One should highlight that it is necessary to emphasize the importance of information protection in the registry. A suitable option is to rely on encryption because this procedure ensures that information will not be used by unauthorized individuals. Another potential response is to have a disaster recovery plan. This planning procedure is significant because it highlights specific procedures and actions that should protect and restore information if a disaster occurs.
References
Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. (n.d.a). About the BCSC. Web.
Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. (n.d.b). Funding and acknowledgment. Web.
Chapter 6. (n.d.). Computerization in health informatics and information management [PDF document].