HL7 FHIR® Implementation Guide: Cancer Electronic Pathology Reporting (Project Insight ID: 1686)

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) created electronic Cancer Checklist (eCC) Protocols ( https://documents.cap.org/protocols/Cancer-Protocols-2020_10Word-and-PDF.zip ) for pathologists to use in a laboratory information system (LIS) to capture elements for collecting and reporting cancer patient data. The CAP eCC protocols support improving information exchange between the pathologist and clinician and the pathologist and cancer registries. The electronic protocols are codified using a proprietary code system called cKeys, which is used by the cancer registries. However, this code system is not standard among electronic health record (EHR) systems.   The NAACCR Standards for Cancer Registries Volume V, Laboratory Electronic Reporting Pathology Version 5, May 2020 (Revised 2020) defines how pathology LIS can report information using HL7 V2 messaging to registries but there currently is no standard for reporting pathology LIS information to EHRs. Discrete data elements are captured in electronic format in most LISs. There is a need to create an electronic data exchange standard for pathologists to share cancer data with clinicians in hospital systems. Worldwide, there is a need for sharing data documented by pathologists in a discrete and standard electronic method with electronic health record systems for continuity of care, cancer reporting and research.