Provider Intervention to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening

An Effective Practice

Description

This intervention uses physician education and strategic planning at publicly-funded health centers to improve the delivery and utilization of colorectal cancer screening among underserved populations. Providers are educated in small groups using a question and answer format that covers the following topics: colorectal cancer epidemiology and risk assessment, screening methods and guidelines, behavioral approaches to improving patient screening, barriers to screening, risk communication, and informed and shared decision-making. The educational intervention is followed by a facilitated strategic planning session with the entire health center staff using SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. The strategic planning session encourages health center staff working as a team to reach group consensus on a goal statement for colorectal cancer screening.

Goal / Mission

The goal of this provider intervention is to increase provider recommendation and patient adherence to colorectal cancer screening in publicly-funded health centers.

Results / Accomplishments

The intervention was evaluated using a randomized controlled trial that compared the intervention group to a control group. Pre-post intervention patient surveys revealed a 16% increase from baseline in colorectal cancer screening referral, dispensing, and completion among intervention centers, compared to only a 4% increase among controls (p < 0.001). The number of health center patients self-reporting a lack of physician recommendation as a reason for not having colorectal cancer screening significantly declined from 41% at baseline to 21% at follow-up (p = 0.04); there was no decrease among control patients. Patients reporting that they needed more advice and information to make good decisions about colorectal cancer screening significantly decreased from 50% at baseline to 24% at follow-up (p = 0.006); there was no decrease among control group patients.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Stony Brook University Department of Preventive Medicine
Primary Contact
Dorothy Lane
Department of Preventive Medicine
School of Medicine
HSC-L3 Room 086
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11797
(631) 444-4000
dorothy.lane @stonybrook.edu
http://www.stonybrookmedicalcenter.org/prevmed/
Topics
Health / Cancer
Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Health / Prevention & Safety
Organization(s)
Stony Brook University Department of Preventive Medicine
Source
Medical Care
Date of publication
Sep 2008
Location
Suffolk County, NY
For more details
Target Audience
Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities