Bunkerhill Carebricks vs. e4health for cancer and clinical registry management

The challenge for registry programs

For many health systems, registries—whether cancer or non-oncology—are still maintained through manual abstraction:

• Cancer registries require Certified Tumor Registrars (CTRs) to identify cases, extract data, and code elements according to NAACCR, SEER, and CoC standards.
• Other registries—including cardiovascular, stroke, trauma, infection prevention—require different specialist abstractors.

Because of staffing shortages and recruitment challenges, hospitals often outsource this work to vendors like e4health. Outsourcing can solve immediate staffing needs but creates reliance on human labor, introduces delays in data availability, and risks backlogs that reduce the value of registry data for timely quality improvement.

The Carebricks approach

Bunkerhill’s Carebricks platform fully automates every step of registry work:

• Case finding: Real-time scanning of EHR, LIS, RIS/PACS, and pathology feeds to identify reportable cases instantly.
• AI-powered abstraction: Automatic extraction and mapping of all required data elements with source citations for easy verification.
• Guideline and standard checks: Continuous application of NAACCR, CoC, SEER, and other registry-specific rules, plus your hospital’s protocols.
• Submission automation: Packaging and sending data to state and national registries on schedule, with zero manual preparation.
• Closed-loop action: Triggering follow-up tasks, notifications, or orders when registry data reveals care gaps or improvement opportunities.
• Multi-registry scalability: Run oncology and non-oncology registries side-by-side on the same platform.

How e4health works

e4health provides certified abstractors—primarily CTRs for cancer registries—to handle manual abstraction and submission on behalf of health systems:

• Abstractors log into your systems, locate cases, and manually code data elements.
• Quality and compliance checks are performed by human staff following established protocols.
• Backlogs are addressed by increasing abstractor hours or adding more personnel.
• Services extend beyond cancer abstraction to include other HIM tasks such as data abstraction for EHR migrations, but registry focus is often anchored in oncology.

Key differences between Carebricks and e4health

Operating model

• Carebricks: Fully automated platform; no internal or outsourced registry abstractors needed.
• e4health: Staffing-heavy model with manual abstraction by CTRs and other specialists.

Scope

• Carebricks: All registry types supported in a single platform configuration.
• e4health: Primarily cancer registry abstraction; may support other registries as part of broader HIM services.

Speed & timeliness

• Carebricks: Real-time case detection and element pre-population; continuous submissions possible.
• e4health: Dependent on staff queues and availability; turnaround can vary with workload.

Scalability

• Carebricks: Add a new registry instantly by enabling a workflow in the platform.
• e4health: Adding a new registry requires sourcing and training additional abstractors.

Data reuse

• Carebricks: Registry-grade data flows directly into dashboards and analytics with no extra prep.
• e4health: Data provided as deliverables from service engagements.

Common issues with traditional outsourcing, and how Carebricks avoids them

Hospitals using staffing-heavy registry vendors have reported:

• Chronic backlogs — Months or years behind on abstractions.
• Incomplete coverage — Only a portion of eligible patients abstracted, limiting registry accuracy.
• Inconsistent staffing — Turnover and reassignment affecting continuity and quality.
• Lagging impact — Delayed data limits its usefulness for real-time improvement.

With Carebricks, these risks disappear:

• No backlogs — Cases detected and abstracted automatically in real time.
• Complete coverage — 100% of eligible patients included across all registries.
• No staffing dependency — Automation removes reliance on human resources.
• Immediate impact — Findings surfaced instantly for action.

Why health systems choose Carebricks

• Eliminate outsourcing costs with a predictable platform subscription.
• Maintain direct control of registry data and operations.
• Enable proactive quality improvement through continuous, real-time updates.
• Expand to any registry type without adding staff.
• Meet accreditation and reporting deadlines with confidence.

A look at your potential success

With Carebricks running your cancer and clinical registries:

• Cases are flagged automatically within minutes of diagnosis or procedure.
• Data elements are pre-populated, validated, and ready for submission.
• Submissions are sent on schedule, error-free, with full audit trails.
• Dashboards display real-time quality metrics like time-to-treatment, therapy adherence, and equity gaps.
• Expansion to new registries—whether additional cancer subsites (e.g., breast, lung, colorectal) or other specialties entirely (e.g., STS cardiac surgery, NCDR cardiology, Get With The Guidelines–Stroke, trauma, infection prevention)—is as simple as enabling a new workflow, with no new hiring or outsourcing.

‍