Accreditation for excellence of cancer research institutes: recommendations from the Italian Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

A panel of experts from Italian Comprehensive Cancer Centers defines the recommendations for external quality control programs aimed to accreditation to excellence of these institutes. After definition of the process as a systematic, periodic evaluation performed by an external agency to verify whether a health organization possesses certain prerequisites regarding structural, organizational and operational conditions that are thought to affect health care quality, the panel reviews models internationally available and makes final recommendations on aspects considered of main interest. This position paper has been produced within a special project of the Ministry of Health of the Italian Government aimed to accredit, according to OECI model, 11 Italian cancer centers in the period 2012-2014. The Project represents the effort undertaken by this network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers to find a common denominator for the experience of all Institutes in external quality control programs. Fourteen shared "statements" are put forth, designed to offer some indications on the main aspects of this subject, based on literature evidence or expert opinions. They deal with the need for "accountability" and involvement of the entire organization, the effectiveness of self-evaluation, the temporal continuity and the educational value of the experience, the use of indicators and measurement tools, additionally for intra- and inter-organization comparison, the system of evaluation models used, the provision for specific requisites for oncology, and the opportunity for mutual exchange of evaluation experiences.

[Quality of the documents requesting and reporting CT scans: a retrospective study in four Italian hospitals]. / Qualità documentale di richieste e referti di TC: studio retrospettivo in quattro ospedali italiani.

A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the quality of CT scan request and report forms in four Italian hospitals in three different Regions. A sample of 800 request forms and corresponding reports in four hospitals were evaluated. Half of the analysed reports involved inpatients while the other half involved outpatients. The four participating hospitals were all of different typology. Study results show that the request forms do not always contain important information such as the suspected diagnosis or name of the requesting physician. Quality indicators of the examined documents were evaluated in relation to their impact on clinical safety.

[Medical records and third party personal data processed in the patient's interest]. / Cartella Clinica e dati personali di terzi trattati nell'interesse di un paziente.

The authors examine some critical aspects relating to the management of sensitive personal data of individuals (third parties) other than the patients. The issue raised is that of how consent can be obtained for treatment of third party personal data when the subject is not available to give consent, and what should be done if consent is not given. In some cases it can be difficult to decide whose interests should prevail. The authors recommend using caution when processing third party personal data and to collect third party information only if strictly indispensable. They also discuss what should be done when a third party requests information regarding whether personal data, of which that individual is the data subject, is being processed by the health institution. The authors conclude that more time will be required before the full protection of personal information is achieved.