To support delivery of the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) and National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), the Australian Government established the National Cancer Screening Register. It enables a single electronic record for each person participating in the programs, and provides a national electronic infrastructure for the collection, storage, analysis and reporting of screening program data.
The National Register invites, reminds and follows up participants to screen. It also generates comprehensive data to inform policy and improve program quality and service delivery.
The National Register gives healthcare providers better access to quality health information and makes it easier for program participants to take control of their health.
The National Register supports the National Cervical Screening Program by:
- maintaining a national database of cervical screening records
- inviting eligible people to commence cervical screening when they turn 25
- reminding participants when they are due and overdue for cervical screening
- providing participants’ cervical screening history to laboratories to inform screening recommendations
- providing a ‘safety net’ for participants who are at risk and who have not attended further testing by prompting them to have follow-up tests.
The National Register supports the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program by:
- maintaining a national database of bowel screening records
- inviting eligible people to commence screening when they turn 50
- distributing iFOBT screening kits (a test kit people can complete at home)
- providing participants’ screening histories to healthcare providers to assist in patient clinical pathways and the reporting of current test results
- providing a ‘safety net’ for participants who are at risk and who have not attended further testing by prompting them to have follow-up tests.