Patient Safety Work Product – Privileged and Confidential
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 299b-21 to 26), the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement final rule (42 C.F.R. §3.102(c)(2)(i))
Registrar - Interview Guide
After obtaining the staff member’s verbal consent, the interviewer will thank them for his or her time and provide a brief
introduction to the project.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am interested in learning more about your experiences so that
we can improve breast cancer screening and care. There are no right or wrong answers. I would just like to hear about
your experiences and suggestions for improvements.
If any questions make you feel uncomfortable and you do not wish to answer, you may skip them and go on to the next
question. You may also choose to stop participating at any time during the interview. Your answers will be held in the
strictest of confidence and will only be seen by myself and authorized research staff. Most importantly, your
participation in this study will not in any way affect your employment.
This interview guide is intended to steer the conversation, however the discussion will direct how these questions are
asked and the order of questions may change based on the interviewee’s answers.
Registrar
1. What is your role, describe how you are typically involved with breast cancer patients
1.1. Tumor Registry
1.2. Do you have a tumor registry
1.3. Does it accurately and completely collect data on adjuvant therapy, biopsies, etc.?
1.4. Does your tumor registry actively pursue information on treatment when patients are referred or self-refer to
another institution for adjuvant therapy? If yes, is this done mainly through relationships with specific
referral institutions or is it more comprehensive?
1.5. What software does your registry use?
1.6. How does your registry define Date of Diagnosis versus your institution/hospital staff?
1.7. How do you (and other registrars) complete fields where data is unknown, or unavailable ? How do you report
this (unknown/unavailable) data to other entities. For example- when reporting to the National Cancer
Database if data is missing for radiation – how do they count it?- need to ask Clarissa Moholick for advice on
wording
2. How do you receive information regarding newly diagnosed breast cancer?
2.1. What information do you receive and from where / whom?
2.2. Who typically provides you the information?
2.3. Do you work closely with a specific individual or specific role to gain information (case manager, navigator,
nurse, other?)
3. How do you receive updated information regarding breast cancer patients – what and from
where? Do you interact with medical oncology, urology, gynecology, general practice, other?
This project has been made possible by generous support from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation
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Patient Safety Work Product – Privileged and Confidential
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 299b-21 to 26), the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement final rule (42 C.F.R. §3.102(c)(2)(i))
Registrar
4. How do you track a patient who receives care at your institution and others at the same time?
4.1. Do you have relationships with registrars at other institutions? How do you communicate with them and how
often?
5. What do you do when a patient is diagnosed with breast cancer at your institution but does not
receive any other care at your institution?
6. What are the standards you follow in defining breast cancer data: date of diagnosis, other
7. How is patient interacted with? What is the Patient’s role? What is the impact of the “cancer
registry” on the patient?
8. Who is involved or informed and why? Who should be involved?
9. What information is required and why? What is the source of the info (system, paper, etc)?
10. Breast Cancer Registry
What is working well?
Why do you think it works?
How do you know it works (metrics,
tracking methods, patient feedback,
questionnaires)?
What could be done
better?
What are the challenges?
Why? (delays, breakdowns)
Effective – Measured by compliance with
guidelines in using appropriate therapies,
procedures, diagnostics and pharmacogenomics for
patient subgroups.
Timely - specifically timing, sequencing, duration
Safety – adverse events, errors, etc
Efficient – Measured by use of resources and
duration of care cycle. Includes: cost of care, RVUs,
and time duration of care
Patient Centered – patient interactions,
adherence to care plans and satisfaction with care
Utility / Usability
- adoption and
acceptance of care process by institution and
patients
Equitable – consistency of care protocols
regardless of insurance, sex, race, culture, religion,
economic status, education level
This project has been made possible by generous support from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation
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