TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

We have worked closely with NHSE to develop resources to support the NHS Cancer Programme for pancreatic cancer case finding. These resources aim to assist clinicians in identifying eligible patients for the pilot and provide guidance on the next steps. Additionally, we have developed a reporting dashboard in Ardens Manager, enabling participating cancer alliances to aggregate data from multiple PCNs, ensuring more comprehensive and reliable data.


1. Identify Patients

The eligibility criteria for the pilot are patients aged 60 years and over who either have a raised HBA1c or a new diagnosis of diabetes in the last year. These patients are split into two groups:


  • Group 1 - where unintentional weight loss is already documented 
  • Group 2 - where no weight loss is recorded, these patients can then be proactively identified to determine their weight trend. 


Ardens has built Case Finder reports to easily identify these groups of patients.


To find these reports, navigate to Population Reporting > Ardens Searches > 4.14 Conditions - Cancer > Pancreatic Cancer Case Finders Pilot > Work To Do folder.


Please note - the latest reports can be downloaded from the Ardens Portal (ardens.live/portal) or will part of your next routine update.



  • The Group 1- Assess + refer USCR or CT or MRI as unintentional weight loss report will identify patients who are 60 years and over, diagnosed with Diabetes or have an HbA1c >48 recorded in the last year, and have been recorded as having unintentional weight loss. These patients are eligible for the pilot, barring any exclusions listed on the template. 
  • The Group 2 - Assess + rec weight + refer USCR CT MRI if unintentional wei... report will identify patients who are 60 years and over, diagnosed with Diabetes or have an HbA1c >48 recorded in the last year, but have NOT had any weight loss recorded. These patients can be proactively assessed to record their weight and determine if there has been any unintentional weight loss to be included in the pilot. 


Additionally, there are useful 'For review' reports which can be run to identify patients you may wish to include in the pilot or chase an outcome.



  • For review - Follow-up as PCCF assess + USCR CT MRI ref 1-12m ago +... report will identify patients who have been referred for an ultrasound, CT  or MRI scan from the pilot but there has been no outcome recorded. You may wish to follow-up on these patients to understand why an outcome has not been recorded.
  • For review - Review as excl as EOL or pan cancer or Rockwood 8-9 or... report will identify patients who are excluded from the case finder reports because they have been coded with End of Life, Pancreatic Cancer, have  a Rockwood frailty score of 8-9 or ultrasound in the last 2 months. You may wish to include these patients in the pilot if deemed clinically relevant. 

2. Record Consultation

Once the patients have been identified for the pilot, the Ardens "Pancreatic Cancer Case Finding PILOT" template can be used to assess the patient and record the outcome.


To assess the template within an open consultation, click Run Template and search for the template.



Once assessed, on the left-hand side of the template you will see a page for Group 1 and Group 2.


The Group 1 page allows you to record the assessment, management and any exclusions for patients recorded with an unintentional weight loss. The Assessment section will show you the date the weight loss had been recorded. 



The Group 2 page allows you to record the assessment including weight, management and any exclusions for patients identified for the pilot that have not had an unintentional weight recorded. 



Once the relevant information has been captured, ensure you Save Template to save the data back to the patient record.

3. Review Outcomes

Once the patient has been referred to the pilot, the Outcomes page of the same template can be used to record any referrals completed, treatment decisions or investigations done. 



To monitor the patient outcomes, there are searches available in the Ardens Searches > 4.14 > Conditions - Cancer > Pancreatic Cancer Case Finders Pilot > Outcome folder.



These searches will report on any data recorded via the template, including any assessments and investigations done, plus diagnoses made within 3 months.


If you require any further assistance please contact Ardens EMIS support:  support-emis@ardens.org.uk