Table 1.
Categories of data to measure adherence to guidelines
| Data items | |
| Category 1 | |
| Population-based cancer registry, with or with linkage to administrative inpatient data | Demographics |
| Site of cancer | |
| Morphology | |
| Summary staging information at time of diagnosis (local, regional, distant spread) | |
| Type and date of inpatient surgery | |
| Co-morbidities (pre-existing and complications) | |
| Category 2 | |
| Core clinical registry | Type and date of initial treatments |
| Intent of treatment (curative versus palliative) | |
| Clinical (TNM) stage at diagnosis | |
| Performance status | |
| Specific prognostic factors (e.g., hormone receptor status for breast cancer) | |
| Assessment by multidisciplinary team | |
| Participation in clinical trial | |
| Category 3 | |
| Extended clinical registry or medical record review | Long-term follow up |
| Management of disease progression | |
| Management of complications of cancer therapies (e.g., anti-emetics, heparin) | |
| Details of surgical techniques (e.g., omental covering of anastomosis, on-table colonic lavage) | |
| Category 4 | |
| Patient interview | Information sharing between clinicians and patients, for example |
| Audio-taping of consultation | • Method of breaking bad news |
| • Inquiries about how spouse and children were coping | |
| • Resolution of family conflicts | |
| • Information provided to help woman choose between breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy | |