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ℹ️ Introduction
This article explains how to use the Ardens resources to support the NHS Pancreatic Cancer Case Finding Pilot. By the end of this article, you will understand how to identify eligible patients, complete assessments using the Ardens template, and monitor patient outcomes through reporting searches.
Background
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage due to non-specific symptoms, making early identification essential to improving patient outcomes. NHS England launched the Pancreatic Cancer Case Finding Pilot to support earlier investigation in higher-risk patients.
The pilot focuses on patients aged 60 years and over with either:
A new diagnosis of diabetes within the last year, or
Raised HbA1c levels
Patients are then assessed for unintentional weight loss to determine eligibility for further investigation.
How Ardens Can Help
Ardens provides a suite of resources to support practices throughout the pilot workflow, including identifying eligible patients, recording consultations, and monitoring outcomes.
The resources include:
Case Finder searches
Pancreatic Cancer Case Finding PILOT template
Outcome monitoring searches
Ardens Manager dashboards for participating organisations
How to Access
🔍Identify Eligible Patients
The Ardens Case Finder reports help practices identify patients who may meet the pilot criteria.
The eligibility criteria for the pilot are patients aged 60 years and over who either have a raised HbA1c or a new diagnosis of diabetes in the last year. These patients are split into two groups:
Group 1: Where unintentional weight loss is already documented
Group 2: Where no weight loss is recorded, these patients can then be proactively identified to determine their weight trend.
The reports include different time frames depending on the practice’s stage within the pilot, helping to identify any patients who may have been missed.
Phase 1: 1/6/24 - 31/5/25
Phase 2: 1/11/24 - 31/10/25
Additionally, there are useful review reports that can be run to identify patients you may wish to include in the pilot or to chase an outcome.
📝 Record Consultation
Once the patients have been identified for the pilot, the Ardens Pancreatic Cancer Case Finding Pilot template can be used to assess the patient and record the outcome.
The Group 1 page is used for patients with documented unintentional weight loss. This page allows clinicians to record assessment findings, review exclusion criteria, and record management decisions.
The Group 2 page supports proactive assessment of patients without a prior history of weight loss. Clinicians can record weight and BMI, review exclusion criteria and record next steps.
➡️Review Outcomes
Once the patient has been referred to the pilot, the Outcomes page of the Ardens Pancreatic Cancer Case Finding Pilot template can be used to record any referrals completed, treatment decisions or investigations done.
Reports are available to monitor the patient outcomes.
❓FAQs
What is the difference between Group 1 and Group 2?
Group 1: Patients already coded with unintentional weight loss.
Group 2: Patients without recorded weight loss who require further assessment.
Why do the group reports have different timeframes?
The reports include different time frames depending on the practice’s stage within the pilot, helping to identify any patients who may have been missed.
🏫 Additional Support
To further your understanding of the Ardens resources:
Book training for your GP Practice, PCN or ICB
Contact our Support Team for support in real time