SACT Data view covers more than 90% of the Scottish population

Scottish Cancer Registry and Intelligence Service (SCRIS) team achieves successful Systematic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) data connection in two more areas. This means the national data coverage is now more than 90% of the Scottish population. SCRIS also demonstrates prototype dashboard for SACT data to all Scottish Cancer Networks with very positive response.

In late March 2020, the Scottish Cancer Registry and Intelligence Service (SCRIS) team created a new Data Virtualisation (DV) view. This new DV view showed new ChemoCare databases in NHS Tayside and NHS Grampian. These additions mean the prototype dashboard will soon present Systematic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) data for more than 90% of the population. 

Data Virtualisation

Data Virtualisation (DV) is being used by SCRIS to open a single overall view of standardised data which is stored in various locations across Scotland. This reduces the risk of data errors and workload of moving copies of data to one central location and is more compliant with information governance principles.

The SACT dashboard allows users to see national Systematic Anti-Cancer Therapy data in order to benchmark nationally. The SCRIS team hope to achieve national coverage soon and that by displaying the data in a national way, this will contribute to embedding a standardised approach to SACT data recording in the future.

Positive reaction to SACT Dashboard

As well as widening the SACT dashboard coverage, the SCRIS team have been giving demonstrations of the dashboard to each of the regional cancer networks in Scotland, with great responses.

During February and March 2020, the SCRIS team hosted a series of live SACT dashboard demonstrations. Attended by a wide range of health board staff, these half-day drop-in sessions walked consultant clinicians, lead nurses, service managers and others through the content, form and function of the prototype SACT dashboard. These sessions recorded feedback and answered the attendees’ questions.

Attendees were struck by the versatility, scope and utility of the dashboard.

Phenomenally useful at planning level

The responses will feed into future iterations of the dashboard, with plans to trial a beta-version of the dashboard with a few users by autumn 2020.

SCRIS and SACT dashboards

The SACT dashboard is part of the wider Scottish Cancer Registry and Intelligence Service (SCRIS) project, where cancer data for Scotland will be drawn into a single place and accessible via a central dashboard.

Since 2017, NSS/PHS and IHDP have been enhancing the Scottish Cancer Registry by adding new data sources and improving processes. This allows faster and more flexible access to cancer data from across Scotland to help healthcare professionals provide better cancer services. Better cancer services result in improved cancer outcomes.