Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-07-02-.05 - CANCER CASE REPORTING

(1) Reportable Cancer Cases

(a) Any newly diagnosed in-situ or invasive cancer as defined by the TCR Policies and Procedures Manual is considered a reportable diagnosis. If a patient subsequently develops a new primary cancer, it shall be reported separately.

(2) Format for Reporting

(a) The format for reporting, the required codes, and the standards for completeness and quality are defined by the department in the TCR Policies and Procedures Manual.

(3) Data Items to be Reported

(a) The standardized report of cancer shall include as a minimum those data items required by the Tennessee Cancer Registry, a list of which is maintained in the TCR Policies and Procedures Manual. The report of cancer shall include the listed demographic, diagnostic, and treatment data as defined by the department.

(4) Deadline for Reporting

(a) Reporting shall occur no later than six months after the date of diagnosis of cancer in a patient. Reports shall be submitted to the department according to a time frame communicated by the department to each hospital, facility, laboratory, and health care practitioner.

(5) Failure to Report

(a) A hospital, laboratory, facility, or health care practitioner that fails to report data or allow access to records, as required by T.C.A. § 68-1-1003, shall be informed in writing by the department that compliance is mandatory.

(b) If a hospital, laboratory, facility, or health care practitioner fails to provide the required data by the required deadline in the format specified by the department or if the data are of unacceptable quality, the Commissioner or the Commissioner's authorized representative may casefind and abstract the information by a direct examination of those patients' medical records. In these cases, the facility shall reimburse the department for the actual cost of casefinding, abstracting, coding, and editing, a maximum of which is seventy dollars ($70) per hour, plus, if necessary, reasonable ancillary and travel expenses. A hospital, laboratory, facility, or health care practitioner from whom reimbursement is sought may appeal the assessment of expenses under the Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedures Act. The appeal shall be to the Commissioner in writing and within thirty (30) days of receipt of the assessment.

(6) Quality Assurance

(a) Staff members from the Tennessee Cancer Registry or their agents shall perform periodic quality assurance studies at all reporting facilities. These studies shall include:

1. Casefinding to ensure that all cancer cases have been accessioned; and

2. Reabstracting the records of cancer patients to ensure that all data have been transcribed and coded correctly.

(b) Reporting facilities shall assist TCR staff by providing the necessary medical records and the office space for conducting quality assurance activities.

(c) In order to improve the quality of the data, the TCR or their agents shall offer training for reporting facility personnel.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-07-02-.05

Original rule filed October 6, 1986; effective November 20, 1986. Amendment filed September 5, 1990; effective October 20, 1990. Repeal and new rule filed February 1, 2002; effective April 17, 2002. Amendment filed October 25, 2019; effective 1/23/2020.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202; 68-1-103; 68-1-1001, et seq; and 68-1-1003.