Topology's Contribution to Data Modernization: Cancer Care and Public Health Reporting at HIMSS 2024

This year at the HIMSS 2024 digital health conference, Topology developed a project for the Interoperability Showcase for Cancer, an event highlighting the advancements in healthcare technology and integration. Using our Electronic Health Record (EHR) Auth Gateway and other tools, our team developed a modern state cancer registry application for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which accessed data across multiple EHRs, including industry giants like Epic and Oracle, as well as from the Clinical Data Repository (CDR) Bridgehead HealthStore. The application which was showcased by the CDC at HIMSS demonstrated how it was possible to automate cancer registry data collection and build comprehensive patient summaries for cancer surveillance. 

The management of cancer-related data poses significant challenges due to the sensitivity and complexity of the information. Traditional methods of data capture often lead to fragmented data silos, complicating cancer surveillance, clinical trials matching, and research. Many registries in North America, including Ontario’s, have data that lags up to two years behind the current date, meaning delayed understanding of cancer trends, and limited ability to match patients in cancer trials.

The Cancer Registry Application integrated with major EMRs and EHRs, such as Epic and Oracle, alongside the specialized CDR, Bridgehead. The application eliminates the hurdles typically associated with data fragmentation and timeliness. This capability could enable cancer registries to access comprehensive patient histories, improve diagnosis accuracy, and tailor treatment plans effectively. 

If you want to learn more about how our tools can solve your interoperability use case, contact us.