A chemotherapy management system based on a therapy-specific electronic patient record (EPR) has been rolled out across a network of UK hospitals.

The Thames Valley Cancer Network has implemented ARIA for Medical Oncology from Varian Medical Systems over the past year.

Varian's system allows patient information to be shared between hospitals within the network, removes the need for paperwork, and gives the patient access to their own treatment record.

"The ARIA system has been extremely well received by clinical teams and patients alike. It gives us all the functionality we require," said Dr. Claire Blesing, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Churchill Hospital, Oxford.

ARIA can be used to manage all the clinical, administrative and financial activities of an oncology department. The oncology-specific EPR is the core of the system, allowing individual care pathways to be designed.

The system facilitates patient involvement: the patient can be shown a record of the ongoing effects of chemotherapy together with their prescription, and given a record book to help them manage their treatment.

Susan Wright, 66, a cancer patient at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, said that with the new system "I have constantly felt part of the process rather than simply being told what to do. We go through my medical record together and it enables me to become more involved in managing my disease."

ARIA also allows all steps in the treatment to be signed off electronically, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.

Thames Valley Cancer Network has offered to share its regimen library and network-written user guides with other ARIA users in the UK.

Steve Laws, Varian's European Software Sales Manager, said: "We are honoured that this pioneering cancer network felt that ARIA met its needs for a fast, flexible and paperless record-keeping system."