South Carolina gains web-based tool for population health surveillance

A research team from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center recently launched a web data tool to help researchers and the public understand the impact of cancer across South Carolina.  

The tool, known as the South Carolina Cancer Surveillance for Population Health Research and Outreach Tool (SC SPOT), is designed to provide information aggregated at the local level for each of the state’s 46 counties.

“Our goal was to share usable, understandable and accessible data in order to foster research collaboration, empower communities and advance health equity,” said project leader Kalyani Sonawane, PhD, a Hollings Cancer Center researcher and associate professor in the MUSC Department of Public Health, in the press release.

The web-based tool is made up of six dashboards that track data in multiple categories: cancer risk factors, new cancer cases, cancer-related deaths, demographics, social determinants of health and healthcare access.

While the tool is designed to shed light on these trends at the county level, rather than forcing users to rely on state and national statistics, it pulls data from national sources such as the US Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute and the US National Cancer Registry.

The publicly available tool was recently recognized as a “Rapid Fire Winner” at the inaugural Catchment Area Data Conference at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center in December.

“This is a valuable tool not only for cancer researchers and clinicians but also key stakeholders and all South Carolinians who want to better understand the impact of cancer on our state,” said Raymond N. DuBois, MD, PhD, director of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. “By having clear data so readily available, we can identify opportunities where we can increase access to care, develop meaningful programs and perhaps impact healthcare policy for the betterment of South Carolina.”

The tool’s launch comes as cancer researchers and providers work to tackle shifting cancer trends, such as the growing incidence of cancer in young people and an uptick in early-onset stomach cancer cases.