CINJ database enhancements help physicians to ensure safety in chemotherapy delivery

Database enhancements developed at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) are helping physicians use technology to further ensure safety in the delivery of chemotherapy. Known as the Cancer Treatment Regimen Library, this new tool includes more than 400 standard care regimens for more than 100 different cancer categories. It enables clinicians to ensure appropriate treatment doses for patients based on the recommended standard of care and cross-checked against a patient's medical record. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The collection of standard care regimens for cancer care is not a new process. What is different about this Regimen Library developed by Adam Lisi, PharmD, a pharmacy informatics specialist at CINJ, is the incorporation of a rule and notification functionality, where safety elements are built in. When any chemotherapy is ordered, the database system reviews a patient's electronic medical record. Each treatment regimen has specific rules associated with it. If an abnormal test result is detected within a patient's record, the system will review the treatment rules and recommend a modification of therapy. The regimens and rules are constantly reviewed and updated by a multi-disciplinary team at CINJ, including tumor-specific oncologists, pharmacists and nurses.

"As more of the patient's medical information flows into our system, the clinicians have a more accurate picture of their patient, which allows them to make the most appropriate clinical decision," said Dr. Lisi. "The [Cancer Treatment Regimen] Library provides an addition layer of patient safety in the oncology setting."

"The Cancer Treatment Regimen Library will further enhance clinical decision support mechanisms," noted CINJ Deputy Director Susan Goodin, PharmD, who also collaborated with Lisi in developing the system. "While this system assures doctors and nurses that their patients are receiving patient appropriate doses of chemotherapy, the system also will assist with inventory management of very expensive and short supply chemotherapy drugs," noted Dr. Goodin, who is also a professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.