Common questions

Will this tell me whether I have a case?

No. It tells you whether the treatment in a record matches what the clinical practice guidelines recommend, and it cites the guideline page for each finding. Whether a deviation amounts to negligence depends on facts no record fully captures. That judgment belongs to a clinician and a lawyer. Think of the report as a well-organized list of questions to bring them.

What exactly is a "potential deviation"?

A point in the treatment where the record shows something different from what the guidelines recommend for that specific situation. For example, the guidelines recommend three years of imatinib after surgery for a high-risk GIST, and the record shows none was given. It is flagged as "potential" because guidelines allow exceptions and records are often incomplete.

Which cancers are covered?

Six right now: GIST, breast, colon, prostate, non-small cell lung, and small cell lung. Each has its own page on this site describing what we check. More are planned.

What should I upload?

Whatever describes the diagnosis and the treatment. Pathology reports, oncology consult notes, discharge summaries, and infusion records are ideal. A .docx, .pdf or .txt file works, or paste the text directly. You can even type the history from memory, though the more the record contains, the more decision points we can check.

What does "not addressed in the record" mean?

The guidelines expect something at that point, such as a test, a scan, or a treatment discussion, and the record you gave us does not mention it. It may have happened and simply not be in the papers you have. Those items are worth verifying first.

How much does it cost?

Nothing right now. You sign in with an email code, and there is a cap on analyses per day so the service stays available for everyone.

What happens to the record I upload?

It is processed on our server to produce your report, and analyses are retained so we can check and improve accuracy. Please remove names, addresses, and ID numbers before uploading. The analysis does not need them.

Which guideline version do you check against?

The current published guidelines. If the treatment happened years ago, the standard of care at that time may have been different. That distinction matters legally, and it is exactly the kind of thing to review with a professional.

The report found no deviations. Does that mean the care was good?

It means the decision points we could see match the guidelines, which is reassuring but not a guarantee. A record can leave out the very thing that went wrong, and our checks do not cover every aspect of care. Surgical technique, timing, and communication are outside what a concordance check can see.

I'm a lawyer or a clinician. Can I use this for screening?

Yes. That use is what the citations are for. Each finding points to the specific guideline page, so you can pull the primary source and read it in seconds rather than paging through the whole guideline.