The Impact of Quotas on Certified Tumor Registrars (CTRs)

What CTRs are Saying about Quotas

Those in the cancer registry world face many challenges due to different org sizes, staffing structures, budget constraints, and more. During a recent survey Redsson conducted across a group of certified tumor registrars (CTRs) and others in the cancer registry industry, there was one question and topic in general that led to an interesting debate: What are your thoughts on using abstract quotas to help improve efficiency?

Most registrars feel that quotas are important to improve efficiency and keep CTRs motivated and focused. However, the same majority ALSO felt that quotas should not be one size fits all, and there were strong opinions on both sides of the argument Here are a few responses:

“100% in favor. Quotas keep CTRs motivated and focused.”

“Not a fan”

“Quotas are good as long as they are realistic”

Quotas - Do They Help or Hurt?

According to our respondents, quotas are helpful as they provide CTRs with an understanding of their job expectations. They also provide a way to ascertain expectations and explain the need to management when management is asking for a benchmark.

That being said, when setting quotas, factors like the registrar's level of job experience, program type and treatments offered in the facility, technology available, budget for third-party tools and vendors, other job responsibilities that impact bandwidth, etc. should be taken into consideration. But, since there is no global standard for the number of abstracts a registrar should complete in a given timeframe, many registrars highlighted the fact that one size does not fit all and that quota criteria should be based on a multitude of influencing factors. Here’s another survey response from a CTR who feels strongly that one size does not fit all:

“Quotas may help improve efficiency, but what also has to be part of the equation of creating the quota is the experience of the registrar. And since no entity in the Cancer Registry world will come right out and say how many abstracts should a registrar do a day/month/year, then we as registrars should support the idea that one size does not fit all and that experience in the field must be included in the quota criteria.”

Free Up CTRs with Redsson

It’s common knowledge that CTRs spend the majority of their time abstracting. However, there’s still a need for CTRs to spend time looking up lost patients and following up in order to meet their quotas and maintain CoC compliance, and that part of the job can be tedious and manual. This is where Redsson can step in.

With Redsson’s FollowUpPro solution, you’ll be able to improve your follow up rate, achieve CoC compliance, and save time and money. Want to see real-world results? See how FollowUpPro helped this customer save time to focus on more important tasks.