The development of a lung cancer collaborative audit programme - a way forward in the management of lung cancer.

Lung Cancer guidelines recommend that cancer units should ensure that activity is measured and comparative audit takes place (Thorax 1998). The Merseyside&Cheshire (M&C) Lung Cancer Data Management Team and Unisoft Medical Systems (UMS) have developed a Lung Cancer Management System to link cancer units and cancer centres via a uniform data system. The dataset, based on the Royal College of Physicians Core Dataset, was designed to incorporate additional fields as required by the M&C Team or the NHS. Units collect diagnostic, staging and management data for each patient with suspected or definite lung cancer. Surgical information on individual patients is amalgumated using ReTeCK (Regional Tertiary Centre Kit, UMS). A file containing encrypted information is forwarded electronically from the M&C Units to the Surgical Centre where relevant fields are completed and then returned, using the same encryption process. Currently data from the Oncology centre is sent to the Units and amalgamated locally. Each month data from the 10 Units is compiled locally using ReKALC (Regional Kit for Auditing Lung Cancer) system then sent via an encrypted file to the central base where it is imported electronically (after de-encryption) to the Master file. This complies with the Data Protection Act and Caldicott Report. Three monthly reports are formulated to enable Units to review their performance within the Network, identify bottlenecks and problems and assist future management planning. In addition this information facilitates the preparation of national performance targets, local and Network audit, clinical governance and cancer accreditation. We acknowledge the help of all the hospitals in the M&C Cancer Network.