P-42 Responding to the changing needs of Caribbean Cancer Registries through international collaborations and electronic innovation
Author(s):
S Quesnel-Crooks , H Armstrong , C Radix , L Mery , M Ervik, M Hagenimana , T Davidson
Year of Presentation:
2023
Objective: Cancer registration activities in English-speaking Caribbean countries would benefit from improvements to the information technology (IT) application and infrastructure currently in use. In 2020, in response to these identified regional needs, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Caribbean Cancer Registry Hub, based at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), began investigating possible alternative IT applications. As a result, a collaborative project developed between IARC, CARPHA, the University of Oslo and the Rwanda National Cancer Registry. Over the period March-October 2022, the DHIS2 Oncology Module – which was developed by the Rwanda National Cancer Registry - was installed, customized, and tested at CARPHA.
Methods: The project Executive Committee was formalized and the DHIS2 Metadata files were imported onto a CARPHA server. The variable list was customized to the core dataset recommended for Caribbean cancer registries and usability testing to assess fit for purpose and ease of use was completed.
Results: The DHIS2 Oncology module was successfully installed and customized for use in Caribbean cancer registries. User-testing participants expressed satisfaction with the DHIS2 Oncology Module application, with the exception that internal-consistency validation rules were not included in the tested application. Additionally, participants reported issues due to a lack of experience using the DHIS2 platform.
Conclusion: The DHIS2 Oncology Module can be installed and customized for use in Caribbean cancer registries. Appropriate training materials would need to be developed to support its installation, customization, and use. Additionally, incorporating the validation rules for internal data consistency is needed.