RCSI Hospital Group First Hospital Group to Implement National Cancer Information System (NCIS) Across all Oncology and Hematology units.

The RCSI Hospital Group is the first Hospital Group to implement NCIS across all Oncology and Haematology units. This month saw Cavan and Monaghan Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Louth County Hospital implement the new system with Connolly Hospital and Beaumont Hospital implementing at an earlier stage.

The NCIS is a digital support for prescribing and administering chemotherapy and allows for the recording of information about a patient’s cancer case, diagnosis and treatment with cancer drugs and supports the care of Oncology and Haematology patients across Ireland.

Picture: Lorraine Brady NCIS Project Manager Cavan & Monaghan Hospital, Eimhear Reilly NCIS Pharmacist Cavan & Monaghan Hospital with members of the National NCIS Team, National E-Health Lead and members of Clinical and Management Staff from Cavan & Monaghan Hospital

The National Cancer Information System (NCIS) is supporting the care of oncology and haemato-oncology patients receiving chemotherapy in the public hospitals across Ireland. NCIS facilitates the recording, the multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment decision process in addition to the complex chemotherapy prescribing, preparation, and administration processes.

NCIS has been driven by the National Cancer Control Programme and has resulted from collaboration with the system suppliers, E-Health, and Hospitals Oncology Medical, Nursing and administration stakeholders. The NCIS rollout programme includes 26 voluntary and statutory hospitals providing Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT) with Cavan & Monaghan Hospital being the 13th hospital to implement and Louth Hospital being the 14^th hospital to implement.

Picture: Barry Matthew and Yvonne Cummins, NCIS Project leads in Louth Hospitals, Dolores Donegan RCSI Hospital Group pictured with members of the National NCIS Team and Members of Clinical and Management Staff from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Louth County Hospital.

Aims and Objectives:

• Support the care of oncology and haemato-oncology patients through the use of key functionalities including prescribing, medication administration, and documentation.
• Provide a single national electronic record of cancer diagnosis and systemic anti-cancer treatment supporting patient safety.
• Ensure that relevant healthcare providers have access to patient’s data in a timely manner

Outcomes:

Patient Care

• Enhanced communication as a result of better capability for sharing of information between clinicians.

Medication Safety

• Provides enhanced medicine governance supporting safe and efficient delivery of chemotherapy with legible prescription and better communication.

Documentation, Data, Audit and Research

• Provides a mechanism for data recording and report generation.

Efficiency

• Provides a single longitudinal record comprising MDT patient record and prescribing and dispensing of SACT.

Cost saving staff time and unnecessary delays in treatment administration

• Reduction in consumables paper, storage and records management and postage costs.
• Improved communication between cancer centres local satellite centres.

Exceptional teamwork was demonstrated throughout the project with evidence of consistent preparation and excellent communication. The NCCP, E-Health, Connolly Hospital, Cavan & Monaghan Hospital and Louth Hospitals teams’ collaborative approach to this project ensured the safe transition from a paper-based system to an electronic based system in a single event.

For further information regarding the NCIS in the Cavan & Monaghan Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Louth County Hospital see below:

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Louth County Hospital

Please contact Mr. Barry Matthews Barry.Matthews@hse.ie

Cavan & Monaghan Hospital

Please contact Ms. Lorraine Brady Lorraine.Brady1@hse.ie