Data audit tools extract and analyse practice-level data that enables data driven quality improvement, which is integral to achieve best patient outcomes.

In the context of cancer screening, data audit tools can help you to:

• Track cancer screening participation rates
• Identify patients who have screened and who are overdue for screening
• Share de-identified cancer screening data with your primary health network (PHN), who may use this data to provide you with a benchmark of your performance against other practices in your area, or assist you to set baseline for QI activities.

In the context of smoking cessation, clinical audit tools can help you to:

• Track patients who have missing smoking status and smoking history recorded
• Identify focus populations who smoke e.g. Aboriginal people, pregnant women, or people with high-risk comorbidity (eg. COPD) 
• Share de-identified data with your PHN, who may use this data to provide you with a dashboard reports, which can assist in quality improvement activities and tracking preventative activities within your practice

Data audit tools include PEN CS’s ‘CAT 4’ and Outcome Health’s ‘POLAR’ products. Your PHN will have a data audit tool they can make available at no cost. They should be your first point of contact for advice and training. 

The term practice software refers to the client information system used by your practice to manage patient records.

• Some practices use data audit tools to aggregate patient data in order to produce lists of patients who are due (or overdue) for screening.
• Other practices may use functions within their practice software or additional software available from their software provider (that integrates with their practice software) to perform these functions.

  TIP: Check if you are systematically performing basic clean-up functions

Assess if your practice is systematically deactivating patients, deceasing patients, checking for missing dates of birth or gender, and merging duplicate patient files. Follow up with your service provider if you need assistance with cleaning up your cancer screening data. 

Recalls and reminders are a crucial element of running an effective practice and are often the basis of providing effective preventive care.

Refer to each individual section of the toolkit below, which will highlight how recalls and reminders can be utilised in cancer screening and preventive activities.  

• Bowel screening QI module
• Breast screening QI module
• Cervical screening QI module
• Smoking cessation QI module   

Access the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) via the Healthcare Provider Portal – Cervical and Bowel Screening

There are three options to contacting the NCSR:

1. The Healthcare Provider Portal 

The Healthcare Provider Portal  allows healthcare providers to communicate with the National Register to:

• Access your patient’s bowel and cervical screening results and histories online, in real-time
• Prepare for patient appointments by accessing results and histories online, prior to appointments
• Submit forms/reports electronically
• Update information regarding your patient’s participation.

Key points 

• Visit the Quick Start Guide (PDF) for a one-page overview on the Healthcare Provider Portal 
• You will need a PRODA account to login. Click here to register your healthcare provider.  
• Watch the Healthcare Provider Portal walk-through videos. These short (approx. 2 min) how-to videos cover access, registration, function features, your practice profile and clinical software integration. 
  • Introduction  
  • Logging in and Registering your account 
  • Participant search and other functions 
  • Managing your profile and delegating access 
• Read the User Guide for step-by-step information on logging in, functions and uses of the Healthcare Provider Portal 
• Click through to directly access the Healthcare Portal Login page 

2. Integration with practice software: 

View more information on NCSR integration at the below links: 

• Clinical Information System Registration Guide

• Clinical software integration animation 

• Communicare integration with the NCSR 

• Medical Director integration with the NCSR 

• Best Practice Premier integration with the NCSR

3. NCSR Contact Centre 

You can continue to call the Contact Centre on 1800 627 701 to communicate with the National Register or manage your participant’s details. (Hours of Operation: 8am to 6pm) Fax: Cervical Screening: 1800 627 702 Bowel Screening: 1800 115 062