Fox Chase Cancer Center Referral Resource Directory Sharon Watkins Davis, M.P.A., Steven R. Taber, M.A.*, June C. Stone, B.S. Fox Chase Cancer Center
*Third World Computer Consulting Abstract
The Old System
Referral resources had been stored in a number of different ways. Frequently used numbers were typed on rolodex cards, with a rolodex at each of seven counselor stations. In addition to this, a printed resource guide from each county in the CIS service area was stored on shelves. Cancer patient and family support groups were stored on 3"X5" cards in a commonly accessible file, because support group listings changed too frequently to include in the rolodex system.
The Cancer Information Service at the Fox Chase Cancer Center receives over 8,000 calls per year requesting referrals to local health care services. We developed a multi-user microcomputer-based system for entering, storing, updating and retrieving cancer referral resource information. Counselors use a menu-based system to retrieve referral resources by agency name, subject, state, county, city, telephone area code, zip code, or fee code. The system also includes menusfor expediting database management: data entry, updating, browsing, and report generaton. A data entry screen allows records to be entered or edited. The system can print mailing labels and update sheets for each agency. This system enhances our ability to disseminate highquality information to the public.
This manual system became increasingly difficult to update. Each counselor added her own referral sources to the rolodex at her station, and filed the cards in her own manner, so that the rolodexes were inconsistent. A volunteer attempted to contact each agency listed on a rolodex card for updating, but missed agencies not included on the rolodex from which she was working. When a change needed to be made, seven duplicate rolodex cards had to be typed. Frequently, the volunteer would not complete updating the entire rolodex within a year, and penciled notations about the last update were confusing.
Introduction The Cancer Information Service is a program of the National Cancer Institute designed to provide support, understanding, and rapid access to the latest information on cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation to the public. The service is accessed through a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-4-CANCER. Calls are taken by trained counselors located at regional offices. Regional offices also provide community outreach and education programs, and access to local providers of cancer services. The Cancer Information Service of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and southem New Jersey, a program of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, is one of the oldest regional offices in the NCI system.
The New System
Our current computerized solution became more desirable when the state of Pennsylvania funded data collection for a cancer referral resource directory, and made the data available to us on floppy disks. Data from this directory, in addition to resources for New Jersey and Delaware that we have collected through our own efforts, are currently available to all counselors on an on-line computer network.
Of the 29,164 calls received by the Fox Chase CIS in calendar year 1990, approximately 8,000 (27%) resulted in a referral to a local health professional, agency, or group. Referral information is most frequently requested for finding a hospital or physician. Community support services are the next most frequently requested, for help with coping, transportation, finances, and in-home care. Referrals to cancer screening services are also of major interest. 0195-4210/91/$5.00 C 1992 AMIA, Inc.
The data base resides on a 386 personal computer (PC) that acts as a server for a host-based multi-user, multi-tasking system run under Alloy 386/Multi-ware software. Eight terminals are linked to the PC through a terminal array panel. A dumb terminal is available on the desk of each of the seven
909
telephone counselor stations. The eighth terminal is a 286 PC on the desk of the data coordinator.
Service Category
# of Resources*
1) Hospitals and clinics 2) Cancer screening prgams 3) Counseling % support svc 4) Rehabilitation services 5) Hospice programs 6) Home health care services 7) Financial assist programs 8) Transportation services 9) Legal assistance resources 10) Quit smoking resources 11) Nutritional referrals
Technical Design The Fox Chase Cancer Center Referral Resource Directory (Fox Line) is built with R:BASE software, using the relational feature to cross-index agency records by subject category and to allow minimization of the database's physical size. R:BASE also offers user-friendly menus to build adhoc queries quickly and easily.
The computerized referral resource system is designed with menus much like the National Library of Medicine's user-friendly on-line Physician's Data Query (PDQ) clinical protocol retrieval system. The main menu allows each counselor to select criteria for retrieval: agency name, subject, state, city, zip code, telephone area code, county, resource type, or fee code. If "subject" is chosen, a second menu of 42 subject classifications is displayed. Once a counselor has made a selection, the system returns with the number of resources retrieved. The counselor can then elect to add additional criteria, and the system will continue to respond with the number of "hits." She can also take one step back to the previous retrieval. Once she has narrowed the retrieval down to the number of resources she wishes to see, she can choose either a short display, which gives the agency name, telephone number, city, state and zip, or she can choose a long display which gives the entire record for the agency.
*
47 63 1270 320 395 426 344 234 1
13 3
Agencies may be cross-indexed under more than
one category.
Summary The Fox Line furnishes answers for persons needing cancer-related services. It gives appropriate referrals for a wide range of needs, from emergency services to nursing homes, screening to smoking cessation programs. The utility of Fox Line lies in enhancing the mission of the Cancer Information Service -- disseminating high-quality information to the public. The informed caller is better able to utilize resources, thus receiving high quality supportive care, or access to early detection.
The complete system also includes features to expedite the work of the database manager -- data entry, updating, browsing, and report generation. Updating is easier because all information is stored in a common data base, including a field indicating the last date updated. Data can be updated in two ways, either through loading in data from a floppy disk through a formatting program, or by data entry. A data entry screen allows new records to be entered or existing records to be edited. The system can print a mailing label and an update sheet for each agency.
The advantages of this system are enormous. Now each counselor has consistent, up-to-date information. Updates can be incorporated rapidly. Much more descriptive information can be included about each agency. The system is cross-indexed, and retrieval is flexible.
The number of resources currently contained within the computerized system are as follows:
910
*Third World Computer Consulting Abstract
The Old System
Referral resources had been stored in a number of different ways. Frequently used numbers were typed on rolodex cards, with a rolodex at each of seven counselor stations. In addition to this, a printed resource guide from each county in the CIS service area was stored on shelves. Cancer patient and family support groups were stored on 3"X5" cards in a commonly accessible file, because support group listings changed too frequently to include in the rolodex system.
The Cancer Information Service at the Fox Chase Cancer Center receives over 8,000 calls per year requesting referrals to local health care services. We developed a multi-user microcomputer-based system for entering, storing, updating and retrieving cancer referral resource information. Counselors use a menu-based system to retrieve referral resources by agency name, subject, state, county, city, telephone area code, zip code, or fee code. The system also includes menusfor expediting database management: data entry, updating, browsing, and report generaton. A data entry screen allows records to be entered or edited. The system can print mailing labels and update sheets for each agency. This system enhances our ability to disseminate highquality information to the public.
This manual system became increasingly difficult to update. Each counselor added her own referral sources to the rolodex at her station, and filed the cards in her own manner, so that the rolodexes were inconsistent. A volunteer attempted to contact each agency listed on a rolodex card for updating, but missed agencies not included on the rolodex from which she was working. When a change needed to be made, seven duplicate rolodex cards had to be typed. Frequently, the volunteer would not complete updating the entire rolodex within a year, and penciled notations about the last update were confusing.
Introduction The Cancer Information Service is a program of the National Cancer Institute designed to provide support, understanding, and rapid access to the latest information on cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation to the public. The service is accessed through a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-4-CANCER. Calls are taken by trained counselors located at regional offices. Regional offices also provide community outreach and education programs, and access to local providers of cancer services. The Cancer Information Service of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and southem New Jersey, a program of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, is one of the oldest regional offices in the NCI system.
The New System
Our current computerized solution became more desirable when the state of Pennsylvania funded data collection for a cancer referral resource directory, and made the data available to us on floppy disks. Data from this directory, in addition to resources for New Jersey and Delaware that we have collected through our own efforts, are currently available to all counselors on an on-line computer network.
Of the 29,164 calls received by the Fox Chase CIS in calendar year 1990, approximately 8,000 (27%) resulted in a referral to a local health professional, agency, or group. Referral information is most frequently requested for finding a hospital or physician. Community support services are the next most frequently requested, for help with coping, transportation, finances, and in-home care. Referrals to cancer screening services are also of major interest. 0195-4210/91/$5.00 C 1992 AMIA, Inc.
The data base resides on a 386 personal computer (PC) that acts as a server for a host-based multi-user, multi-tasking system run under Alloy 386/Multi-ware software. Eight terminals are linked to the PC through a terminal array panel. A dumb terminal is available on the desk of each of the seven
909
telephone counselor stations. The eighth terminal is a 286 PC on the desk of the data coordinator.
Service Category
# of Resources*
1) Hospitals and clinics 2) Cancer screening prgams 3) Counseling % support svc 4) Rehabilitation services 5) Hospice programs 6) Home health care services 7) Financial assist programs 8) Transportation services 9) Legal assistance resources 10) Quit smoking resources 11) Nutritional referrals
Technical Design The Fox Chase Cancer Center Referral Resource Directory (Fox Line) is built with R:BASE software, using the relational feature to cross-index agency records by subject category and to allow minimization of the database's physical size. R:BASE also offers user-friendly menus to build adhoc queries quickly and easily.
The computerized referral resource system is designed with menus much like the National Library of Medicine's user-friendly on-line Physician's Data Query (PDQ) clinical protocol retrieval system. The main menu allows each counselor to select criteria for retrieval: agency name, subject, state, city, zip code, telephone area code, county, resource type, or fee code. If "subject" is chosen, a second menu of 42 subject classifications is displayed. Once a counselor has made a selection, the system returns with the number of resources retrieved. The counselor can then elect to add additional criteria, and the system will continue to respond with the number of "hits." She can also take one step back to the previous retrieval. Once she has narrowed the retrieval down to the number of resources she wishes to see, she can choose either a short display, which gives the agency name, telephone number, city, state and zip, or she can choose a long display which gives the entire record for the agency.
*
47 63 1270 320 395 426 344 234 1
13 3
Agencies may be cross-indexed under more than
one category.
Summary The Fox Line furnishes answers for persons needing cancer-related services. It gives appropriate referrals for a wide range of needs, from emergency services to nursing homes, screening to smoking cessation programs. The utility of Fox Line lies in enhancing the mission of the Cancer Information Service -- disseminating high-quality information to the public. The informed caller is better able to utilize resources, thus receiving high quality supportive care, or access to early detection.
The complete system also includes features to expedite the work of the database manager -- data entry, updating, browsing, and report generation. Updating is easier because all information is stored in a common data base, including a field indicating the last date updated. Data can be updated in two ways, either through loading in data from a floppy disk through a formatting program, or by data entry. A data entry screen allows new records to be entered or existing records to be edited. The system can print a mailing label and an update sheet for each agency.
The advantages of this system are enormous. Now each counselor has consistent, up-to-date information. Updates can be incorporated rapidly. Much more descriptive information can be included about each agency. The system is cross-indexed, and retrieval is flexible.
The number of resources currently contained within the computerized system are as follows:
910
