What you need to do:
1. Identify and understand the information that the trust or chemotherapy site is required to collect.
A detailed breakdown of the 42 data items is available in the ISB dataset specification. A breakdown of the dataset and corresponding business rules are available here: SACT dataset V15 - Business Rules. Before you begin to collect and or upload data, we recommend you familiarise yourself with the dataset and the requirements and business rules for the data items.
2. Identify the electronic sources of the information required, for example e-prescribing systems and patient management systems.
Some trusts will hold patient information in a patient management system or similar, whilst at the same time there may be a separate system which holds prescribing and or treatment information. The trust or chemotherapy site should identify these systems and ensure that, between them, they capture the necessary fields and that a link exists between the two systems which allows record sets to be merged.
3. Establish a process that ensures the data is captured, allows the data sources to merge and export the data in the required format.
Where the necessary data is not currently captured or where the electronic system exists but the data is not currently collected, trusts or chemotherapy sites will need to ensure that data collection and recording processes are implemented to fulfill the SACT data requirements. Furthermore, where more than one source of data exists, processes for merging the data sources will need to be established. These processes may require consultation with the software supplier (and or IT teams where the system has been developed in-house). The CIU has informed all known software suppliers about the SACT dataset standard, and will be in dialogue with suppliers throughout the implementation phase. The chemotherapy site audit will continue to inform the CIU of software suppliers which have not been identified at this time.
File upload formats are described here.
4. Register with the CIU and test your outputs.
Not all trusts will be in a position to submit the full dataset from April 2012. However, the database and portal will allow you to register, upload data in a phased approach in data submission and to review your outputs for the purposes of testing your compliance and data quality. The portal is open to all chemotherapy sites at upload portal, but please note that in order to transfer person identifieable data before the 1st April 2012 a service level agreement (SLA) issued by the CIU will need to be signed by the trust Caldicott Guardian. To request your copy of the SLA please email ciu@sph.nhs.uk.
5. Begin monthly uploads of SACT data through the CIU upload portal.
Once you are compliant with the initial SACT dataset requirements, the data uploads will be gathered in the database. The data will then be reviewed by your clinical team and once approved, the CIU will analyse the data and provide feedback to all chemotherapy sites.