Abstract
The Cancer Registry filter was added to the Research Data Warehouse DataDirect interface in February 2020. The initial rollout allows filtering of Cancer Registry data based on primary site, histology, and stage. This can then be combined with 11 other DataDirect filters containing MiChart and Central Biorepository data. For example, without IRB approval, a researcher can easily determine the number of patients within the Cancer Registry that received a specific chemotherapeutic agent. An aggregate of patient demographic information is presented to help determine suitability for research cohorts. Once a project has IRB approval, hundreds of data fields (including PHI) can be downloaded to significantly reduce study team effort.
The Cancer Registry contains important data for cancer research which is abstracted by certified tumor registrars in Health Information Management to meet American College of Surgeons requirements. There is extensive data for patients either diagnosed or treated at Michigan Medicine for their first course of treatment, and these patients are followed annually for their lifetimes. Some important data in hard-to-search MiChart text fields is in discrete fields in the Cancer Registry. The data is consistent throughout the United States since every cancer registry abstracts data in accordance with nationally supported guidelines. This project makes this valuable resource more accessible to researchers across the University of Michigan campus.