Enhancing central cancer registry treatment data using physician medical claims: a Florida pilot project.

Background: To capture the complete first course of therapy and cancer incidence, given the shift in cancer care from the hospital to the private physician practice, central cancer registries (CCRs) in the United States are actively pursuing cancer reporting from ambulatory providers. The 837 medical health claim is a national standard which CCRs can use to capture and translate data into standardized cancer reporting for surveillance.

Methods: The Florida Cancer Data System conducted a pilot project with a large medical oncology practice to transmit electronic claims from 2011 to 2013.