1. Improving Cancer Tracking Today Saves Lives Tomorrow: Do States Make the Grade? Shelley Hearne, Dr.PH Executive Director October 20, 2003

3. Do States Make the Grade?

4. TFAH State Grade Criteria Degree of state legislative support. This involves financial contribution and laws authorizing a state cancer registry: 10% of grade Working with local communities to answer questions as they arise: 20% of grade Linking cancer data with other existing and relevant databases and making this available to researchers: 20% of grade Data Quality. TFAH based its assessment on criteria set by the 2 cancer registry associations: 50% of grade

5. TFAH Policy Recommendations Connect and coordinate with other health databases Additional $19 million to modernize the registries (electronic reporting, online user friendly, improve “lag time”) Communities and researchers must have access to registry data, within limits of patient privacy Move toward real time reporting starting with childhood cancers Accountability and performance standards strengthened IOM should issue report with clear suggestions for improvement