CRS Plus (Central Registry System Plus) is the core database program within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Registry Plus suite of software, designed specifically for use by central cancer registries. Released in 2000, it is a critical component of the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) for collecting and processing cancer incidence data across the United States.
Key Capabilities and Features:
CRS Plus manages the central cancer registry database, supporting the linkage of incoming abstracts against the existing patient and tumor records, with software-assisted consolidation of data.
- Data Processing: Provides automated processing of duplicate and modification records, allowing for efficient data quality management.
- Data Review: Offers side-by-side displays and automated comparisons of incoming and stored data for manual review.
- Reporting & Export: Generates management reports and is capable of creating extracts for calls for data and interstate data exchange. It exports records in the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) format and automates the preparation of files for national calls for data.
- Data Quality: Runs edits using the Batch Edits feature to identify and resolve data quality issues, often in conjunction with other Registry Plus tools like NPCR-EDITS.
- Integration: It is designed to work with other Registry Plus components like Prep Plus (for data import preparation) and Link Plus (for probabilistic record linkage). It also integrates with TLC Plus, an optional module for automated tumor linkage and consolidation.
Target Users and Deployment:
CRS Plus is a client-server application primarily intended for use by CDC NPCR-funded central cancer registries. The software is provided free of charge by the CDC to support the NPCR. It is designed for simultaneous use by multiple users when configured with a database server like Microsoft SQL Server. Due to the sensitive nature of the data, the software is not available for public download, and interested NPCR-funded registries must contact their CDC program consultant to obtain it.