News
Infrastructure for Automated Data Exchange R(H)ONDA Validated
Validation Study Confirms Reliability of Datagateway for Fast and Scalable Data Delivery to the Netherlands Cancer Registry
The results of a validation study show that automatic data extraction from electronic health records (EHRs) to the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR) is reliable. More specifically, the validation study confirms that structured data on diagnosis, laboratory values, and treatment can be reliably retrieved from EHRs via Performation's Datagateway, resulting in faster automated data retrieval in the NCR. The study was conducted by the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Performation Healthcare Intelligence BV (Performation), and specialists from Erasmus MC and the Reinier de Graaf hospital.
Timely insights from clinical practice are of great added value for medical specialists, policymakers, and researchers. The current, largely manual, data registration in the NCR is of high quality, but also labour-intensive. Due to the growing need for up-to-date data, further automation of registration in the NCR is becoming more important.
Reliable addition to manual recording
To enable automatic data exchange between EHRs and the NCR, IKNL and Performation have jointly developed a new infrastructure: Real-time (Hemato) ONcology DAta (R(H)ONDA). Within this infrastructure, Performation's Datagateway structures data from the EHR into a uniform data model within the hospital domain, regardless of the type of EHR system and version. The three most commonly used EHRs in the Netherlands are supported: HiX, EPIC, and Nexus. In this study, the reliability of this process was validated.
High accuracy demonstrated
For the study, data from patients with acute myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma, as well as lung and breast cancer, were compared between the NCR, the EHR source, and the Datagateway. Results showed:
- 100% concordance with NCR diagnoses
- More than 95% of new diagnoses met the NCR inclusion criteria
- Correct identification of treatments, with only 3% deviation in combination therapies
- 100% match on laboratory values
- 72–100% match with treatment toxicities, depending on the type of toxicity
Scalable addition to manual registration
The results, as published in iScience, confirm that the automated data flow is a reliable and scalable addition to manual registration. This saves time for data managers enables faster feedback of data to the healthcare field, such as in regional reports and treatment analyses.
Implementation is in full swing
The automated data flow from EHRs to the NCR is operational. Diagnosis and treatment data, such as surgical procedures and radiotherapy, are sent to the NCR from 15 hospitals via a secure, (near) real-time FHIR connection. Currently, further development of additional diagnostic and treatment information is ongoing, such as information on drug use and imaging techniques.
IKNL and Performation partner with Oncode Accelerator within the innovation Platform for well-defined Patient Cohorts.
About IKNL:
The main goal of the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL) is to reduce the impact of cancer, from the personal to the societal level. With the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR) as its core activity, IKNL enables healthcare professionals, researchers, policy makers, and others to reflect on cancer and on palliative care. Together with care professionals, researchers, patients, and policymakers we translate data into valuable insights to improve oncological and palliative care.
About Performation
Performation enables healthcare organizations to excel in a changing world through innovative software, intelligent data analytics, and strategic expertise. Our solutions simplify complexity, improve operational performance, and give professionals the freedom to focus entirely on what matters most: their patients. Together, we shape the future of healthcare, today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.