Registry Plus is a comprehensive suite of publicly available, free software programs developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). The software is specifically designed for central cancer registries in the United States for the collection and processing of cancer registry data. The suite is compliant with national standards, including those set by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).
Key Components and Capabilities:
The Registry Plus suite is modular, allowing components to be used separately or together for routine or special data collection. Major components include:
- Abstract Plus: A desktop application used as a cancer data collection tool to summarize medical records into an electronic report of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- CRS Plus (Central Registry System Plus): The main central registry database program, used to link, consolidate, and maintain source records in the central registry's database.
- TLC Plus (Tumor Linkage and Consolidation Plus): An automated function for tumor linkage and consolidation, often bundled with CRS Plus.
- Link Plus: A standalone probabilistic record linkage program designed to detect duplicate records within a cancer registry database or link a cancer registry file with external files.
- Prep Plus: A program for the central cancer registry that receives NAACCR-formatted abstracts and incorporates them into the central database.
- Web Plus: A web-based component that allows facilities to upload abstracted cancer cases online.
Target Users and Support:
The primary intended users are central cancer registries. The CDC provides technical assistance to states for software setup, basic customization, periodic updates, and problem solving exclusively via telephone and email. The CDC does not provide support to hospitals, clinics, or other private users.
Data and Security:
The software is used to manage sensitive patient data (Protected Health Information or PHI) and is used by organizations that must comply with federal regulations, including HIPAA. The CDC provides guidance on data security and the software includes features to control access and ensure privacy.