Collecting and Using Industry and Occupation Data

Data Collection Resources

• Examples of Adequate and Inadequate Information for Occupation and Industry
  Provides examples of various occupations that are not descriptive enough and suggests alternatives that are adequate.
• Guidelines for Reporting Occupation and Industry on Death Certificates
  This document updates the guidelines written in 1988 by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) (DHHS Publication No. 88-1149). It is designed to help funeral directors complete the Decedent’s Usual Occupation and Kind of Business/Industry items on electronic and paper death certificates.
• A Cancer Registrar’s Guide to Collecting Industry and Occupation
  The usual (longest-held) occupation and industry of workers can reveal the national cancer burden by industry and occupation. Such information can also be used to help discover jobs that may have a high risk for cancer or other diseases and for which prevention efforts can be concentrated (or targeted).
• Collection of I&O Data for Cancer Registry Professionals (Including Online Training)
  The goal of this training module is to improve both the quality and the quantity of industry and occupation information captured from hospital and clinic records in order to increase the value of using this information for public health surveillance and research with the ultimate goal of decreasing the incidence of cancers related to workplace exposures. The module contains three parts:
  • Background on the importance of collecting information on the usual (or longest-held) industry and occupation of cancer patients,
  • Guidelines for collecting industry and occupation (or I & O), and
  • Examples of adequate and inadequate I & O entries.

  There is a test at the end. All of those who complete this activity and pass the test (70% or higher) are eligible for 1.5 CEU from NCRA.

• Collection and Use of Industry and Occupation (I&O) Data for Cancer Registry Professionals
  Powerpoint presentation given at the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program Annual Symposium
• Collecting Industry and Occupation Data: A Training Guide for Healthcare Staff
  The New Hampshire (NH) Occupational Health Surveillance Program offers a training to help hospital staff improve their collection of patients’ industry and occupation information. This online training includes a quiz at the end. If scored at 80% or higher, the trainee will receive a certificate of completion. The training meets the National Cancer Registry Association requirements for 1 credit education unit.
• Industry and Occupation Data Collection Tips for Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) Interviewers
  These materials were developed to provide guidance to BRFSS interviewers when collecting industry and occupation data.
• Blogs on Industry and Occupation Data
  • Collecting Occupation and Industry Data in Public Health Surveillance Systems for COVID-19
  • Making Industry and Occupation Information Useful for Public Health: A guide to coding industry and occupation text fields