Cancer decision support (eCDS) tools

“The tools are an aid to clinical decision making. They assist GPs when deciding whether to refer or request further diagnostic investigation in patients where they believe there is a risk of cancer. The tools display the risk of a patient having a specific type of cancer.”

Link to the Macmillan page on this.

How many of us are using it via the GP systems locally?

How have you found it in practice?

Let me know here.


Link to Software integration update (Oct 2015).

Further update 29.04.16:

“…regarding Macmillan’s CDS tool…  we have now successfully integrated the CDS tool in to EMIS and Vision and we are currently working with TPP SystmOne to develop an integrated version of the tool. At present, the CDS tool is therefore unavailable to TPP users, however I would be more than happy to add you to our development mailing list [added] to ensure that you are notified of any developments in this area.

In terms of Emis, the QCancer tool will be available in V.5.9 to all Emis practices in England from next week. This is an integrated version of the original CDS tool and uses Julia Hippisley-Cox’s QCancer algorithm to produce prompts for any patients with a site-specific risk score of 2% or more, as well as a cumulative cancer risk score of 5% or more. The QCancer tool covers 12 tumour sites. The symptom checker function can be found under the templates section of the Emis Web homepage and to receive the risk prompts you will need to activate the protocol which can be done through the Emis Library. For more information please visit the QCancer section of the Emis Support Centre...”