Cancer tsar calls for better data collection to improve service quality and patient outcomes

摘要

Not enough is known about national cancer services and without better data it will remain difficult to improve patients'quality of care,said Mike Richards,national cancer services director,at the annual symposium of the British Oncology Pharmacy Association held in Liverpool from 17 to 19 October 2008."To cite just one example,I'm ashamed to stand here and say I can't tell you how many patients are on chemotherapy.Information gathering is a huge challenge for me,and for healthcare professionals.We simply have to collect better data-and use it to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes,"he said.He also described,an upcoming development on early diagnosis(see Panel below).