Key Takeaways:
- Casefinding is the cornerstone of the cancer registry: It is the first and most foundational step in registry work, yet it remains one of the most manual and resource-intensive tasks oncology data teams face.
- “Try before you buy” reshapes oncology software evaluation: Inspirata’s new Casefinding OnDemand tool lets registry leaders run their own pathology and radiology reports through the engine and validate speed and accuracy before signing a contract.
- Rules-based AI is not generative AI: The tool runs on a prescriptive, rules-based natural language processing engine built around state and standard-setter reportability rules, not a generative model like those behind consumer chatbots.
- Automation can be made equitable: A tiered subscription brings the same automation used by the largest health systems within reach of smaller facilities that have historically lacked the budget or IT resources to adopt it.
When Casefinding Falls Behind, the Whole Cancer Registry Feels It
Cancer registries are being asked to do more with less. Experienced oncology data specialists are retiring, funding pressures are forcing staffing reductions, and mandated reporting deadlines never stop, yet the work of identifying every reportable cancer case still has to get done, on time.
In a recent webinar hosted by Samba Scientific, Inspirata Vice President of Sales Biff Curtis and Customer Success Manager Amanda Harvey-McKee, ODS-C, argued that this pressure lands first on casefinding, the process of surfacing which incoming pathology and radiology reports represent reportable cancer cases.
Casefinding is the crucial first step in the cancer registry, the cornerstone that all other registry data and functionality are built upon. When it falls behind, the effects cascade into reporting gaps, compliance risk, and the real possibility of reduced reimbursement when deadlines slip.
See how Inspirata is approaching that problem with a new tool called Casefinding OnDemand, and discover what cancer registry leaders should consider when evaluating automated casefinding software.
The Casefinding Bottleneck Smaller Facilities Know Too Well
For large health systems, casefinding automation is more likely to be established. For smaller facilities, it often is not. Many lack a dedicated technology budget, yet they are held to the same reporting timelines and accreditation standards as large integrated delivery networks.
Inspirata, which has worked in cancer registry workflow automation for over 20 years, built Casefinding OnDemand specifically to lower that barrier. The premise is straightforward: automatically capture the 80% to 90% of reportable cases that originate in pathology and radiology reports, without the cost and complexity of a full enterprise deployment.
The speakers framed three situations where the tool fits:
- Validating internal “we already have AI” claims: When an IT team suggests an existing EHR or AI platform can already surface reportable cases, registry leaders can run a sample set through Casefinding OnDemand and compare results directly, turning a stalled debate into an apples-to-apples test.
- Comparing vendors before committing: Teams evaluating multiple casefinding engines can run the same set of manually verified reports through each one and compare the outcomes before signing anything.
- Bringing automation to smaller programs: A subscription option gives smaller reporting facilities access to the same underlying technology used by large systems, at a scale and price point they can actually adopt.
What “Try Before You Buy” Means for Oncology Software Evaluation
The defining feature is the evaluation model itself. Rather than asking buyers to commit before they see results, Inspirata lets them upload their own reports and see what the engine returns first.
In the live demonstration, the workflow was deliberately simple. A user creates an account, specifies the state whose reportability rules should apply, and confirms that their pathology and radiology reports are in the required HL7 format. Reports are then dragged in and processed. In the demo, the tool returned results in 2.62 seconds and produced a clean, reportable-only list in an Excel file.
The trial allows roughly 50 reports or a two-week window using a single state’s rules. For facilities whose IT teams cannot readily produce HL7-formatted reports, Inspirata offers to handle the formatting for a small pass-through fee.
The output is built to feed directly into abstraction. Each reportable case comes back with fields such as patient name, medical record number, date of birth, report type and date, primary site, histology, behavior code, laterality, and grade, enough to move a case straight to an abstractor. Inspirata reports 99% accuracy for this reportable-only casefinding.
Rules-Based AI, Not Generative AI: Why It Matters for Cancer Reporting
One distinction the speakers returned to repeatedly is what kind of “AI” is doing the work. Casefinding OnDemand is driven by a proprietary, rules-based natural language processing engine, not a generative model like the ones behind tools such as ChatGPT or Grok.
That difference is more than semantics in cancer reporting. Reportability is governed by precise, prescriptive rules set by multiple standard-setting bodies and individual states. A rules-based engine is designed to apply those rules consistently, which is exactly the behavior a registry needs when its output has to withstand compliance scrutiny. As Harvey-McKee, a former registrar, framed it, the value lies in precise, accurate, rules-based casefinding that a skeptical reviewer can trust.
On data handling, Inspirata described encryption in transit and at rest, with uploaded data destroyed after processing rather than stored or sold. That is an important consideration for any web-based tool handling clinical reports.
How It Fits the Existing Workflow
Casefinding OnDemand is not meant to replace deeper extraction tools. The speakers were clear that it sits alongside Inspirata’s E-Path and E-Path Plus products, which handle fuller data extraction, and that the new tool focuses narrowly on surfacing reportable-only cases. It also does not include downstream workflow integration; larger programs that need that level of integration are pointed toward Inspirata’s on-premise solutions.
For a manual or lightly automated program, the change is concrete. Instead of combing through every incoming report by hand, a team uploads its reports, receives a clean list of reportable cases in seconds, and moves directly to abstraction, freeing staff and outsourced specialists to practice at the top of their license rather than spending hours on repetitive screening.
A Practical Step Toward Modernizing the Cancer Registry
For oncology data teams squeezed between rising workloads and shrinking resources, tools that lower the barrier to automation, and that let you verify them before you buy, are worth a close look. Casefinding OnDemand is one example of how the cancer registry field is working to make modern casefinding accessible to programs of every size, from the largest integrated delivery networks to single-site clinics and laboratories.
If you’re interested in watching the full webinar, you can do so here.
Thinking about turning your own webinar into content that builds scientific authority and reaches the right buyers? Samba Scientific’s webinar services help life science and biotech companies plan, produce, and repurpose webinars into lead-generating assets. Contact us to talk through your next one.
