St. Vincent’s University Hospital leads the way with launch of electronic cancer care tracker

17th April 2025

Care Compass – designed in-house – sets a new standard in oncology and haematology care at SVUH, enhancing patient safety and streamlining communication 

St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH), a Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospital and academic partner of University College Dublin (UCD), has today launched Care Compass, an electronic cancer care tracker. 

This innovation, developed entirely within the St. Vincent’s UCD Cancer Centre, marks a significant milestone in how cancer care is delivered in the hospital.  Care Compass is a dynamic, real-time digital platform designed to support the complex care pathways of all patients attending SVUH’s Cancer Day Centre for treatment. It integrates services across haematology and oncology—including Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT), pre-SACT assessment, oral SACT, other supportive treatments and the Acute Oncology and Haematology Service (AOHS)—ensuring each patient receives the right care at the right time. 

Accessible electronically by the full cancer care multidisciplinary team (MDT) across the hospital, Care Compass offers a live overview of where each patient is on their care journey each day. This shared visibility improves planning, promotes safe care and strengthens how teams work together. 

Dr David Fennelly, Clinical Director of Cancer Services at SVUH, who has worked in oncology at the hospital since 1996, said: “This is a nurse-led innovation that exemplifies the calibre, collaboration and compassion of our cancer services. Care Compass reflects our commitment to delivering complex care with clarity and confidence, ensuring every decision is timely, safe and patient-centred.” 

At the heart of the project is Mini Moby, Directorate Nurse Manager for Cancer Services at SVUH. With over two decades of experience in the hospital, Mini has championed patient-first innovation and built a team grounded in collaboration, clinical excellence and compassionate care. 

Mini Moby said: “Our patients deserve the highest quality of care and that means ensuring every team member has access to the most up-to-date information. Care Compass gives our multidisciplinary team a complete, real-time view of each patient’s journey on that day. The touchscreen platform allows us to see immediately which team a patient is allocated to, what medications have been prescribed and ordered and whether any challenges have arisen on that day. If treatment needs to be paused, this can be flagged immediately ensuring everyone is informed and aligned. This intuitive and efficient platform is transforming how we care for people living with cancer.” 

The tracker was brought to life through the technical expertise of the hospital’s ICT Department. The clinical insight of Gilbert Medrano, Nurse Manager, was instrumental in shaping the system’s functionality—ensuring it provides the right information, in the right way, for the people delivering care. 

How Care Compass is improving cancer care for patients at SVUH: 

• Brings all key patient information together in one secure, central location 

• Provides live updates to ensure every patient’s care stays on track 

• Supports timely treatment decisions and coordinated care 

• Strengthens communication and collaboration between care teams 

• Encourages greater team accountability for each patient’s journey 

• Reduces paper use and promotes more sustainable ways of working 

Now fully operational within St. Vincent’s UCD Cancer Centre, Care Compass is a powerful example of nurse-led innovation transforming cancer care—designed by those delivering it, for the benefit of every patient.