The importance of a database in the management of healthcare services

Objective: To present the epidemiological profile of cancer patientsbelonging to a database of a Hospital Cancer Registry and to reporton the importance of this database in managing healthcare servicesat an Oncology and Hematology Center. Methods: A retrospectivesurvey conducted with 1617 records of patients diagnosed withcancer at the institution between 2004 and 2009. The types of canceranalyzed were of the colon and rectum, breast, prostate and lung. Thevariables used in the study were age, gender, stage of disease upondiagnosis and treatment. Researchers used an application calledSisHCR for data collection, and Excel® for data analysis. To ensuredata safety and reliability, passwords were required for accessingfiles, spreadsheets were backed up on a weekly basis, and patients’CPF numbers were used to avoid data duplication. Results: Of the1617 records analyzed, 36.42% belonged to the topographic group ofthe breast, and approximately 40% of patients with colorectal cancerwere 70 years of age or older. Stage II was prevalent, representing44% of the sample, and the treatment most used was surgery (57%of cases). Conclusion: The study suggested that the Hospital CancerRegistry database is an instrument capable of generating importantinformation about cancer, and that through this information,epidemiological studies can be carried out and the processes ofmanagement and care can be improved