Boston, MA - It was announced that the College of American Pathologists (CAP) would be releasing 10 updates to their electronic cancer checklists (eCCs). These comprehensive changes include additions of SNOMED-CT codes and ICD-O-3 codes as well as other changes to the files. The Map Release, which is just one update, affects the past 10 eCC release packages or you could talk to the number of actual code changes. The map files, when combined, account for 1086 code updates of some sort (i.e., new, changed, removed) across those 10 release packages which each contain many checklists and some number of those checklists will get code updates of some sort.
From the press release by CAP:
CAP eCC Map Release Files is Available – September 2015
This release included updated ICD-O-3 and SNOMED map files. These map files are designed to be used with the following releases:
- eCC 2013_10 Annual Release
- eCC 2013_12 Agile Release
- eCC 2014_03 Package
- eCC 2014_06 Agile Release
- eCC 2014_08 Thyroid Agile Release
- eCC 2014_08 Agile Release
- eCC 2015_01 Agile Release
- eCC 2015_06 Package
- eCC 2015_07 Agile Release
- eCC 2015_08 Agile Release
SNOMED and ICD-O-3 codes for Histologic Type, Tumor Type, Tumor Site and Primary Tumor Site have been included in the new maps. Answer items are mapped, whenever possible, to terms in the latest July 2015 SNOMED CT International Release.
... A new spreadsheet including the associated WHO Term and SNOMED CT with their corresponding Match Type for “Morphology” codes is included in this release. The match type provides additional information about coding, as follows:
- Exact Match: The code represents exactly the same meaning as the eCC term
- Semantic Match: The code may have different wording but represents the same meaning as the eCC term
- Item More Specific than Code: The code is more general in meaning than the eCC term
- Close Match: The code is closely related in meaning to the eCC term
- ICD-O3 Behavior Code Modified: For certain items the behavior code was modified to make the code consistent with the tumor behavior
- Item is a Grouper - May be Uncoded: The eCC term is a grouper for child answer items and may be left uncoded
- No Specific Code Found: No specific ICD-O-3 code was found for the eCC term
- Item Too Generic - May be Uncoded: The eCC term is too general to be coded
This mapping update is just a precursor to the planned November update of the checklists, which will include not just these mapping changes but a host of other modifications to the eCC's. It's important to stay compliant with the CAP protocols and up to date with the mapping in order to ensure delivering correct information to the appropriate databases and directories.
At mTuitive, we know that this process of staying compliant can be cumbersome and time-consuming, which is why we handle it for all of our customers to make sure that they will have the most up to date eCC's and data mapping. mTuitive's pathology software does more than keep users in compliance with CAP, CCO, other protocols—it also captures vital pathology information at a faster pace using branching logic and decision tree algorithms that allow pathologists to only enter the data that is relevant to their cases. The result is a synoptic report that is easy to read and preferred by most referring physicians due to its structured layout and easy to find data.
For more information on how your facility can stay updated with mTuitive software, please contact us today.
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About mTuitive, Inc.
mTuitive, Inc. develops data capture and synoptic reporting software to assist health care professionals in recording clinical findings and maintaining compliance with established protocols and guidelines. mTuitive's unique method of capturing structured information provides valuable data for pathology, surgery, oncology, and cancer staging applications. These products allow the clinical decision maker to conveniently receive alerts and reference materials directly at the point of care. mTuitive solutions improve care to the patient through quality assurance and error reduction while standardizing and automating manual reporting processes, reducing both time and labor costs. To learn more, visit www.mtuitive.com or follow mTuitive on Twitter at @mTuitive