Increasing Patient Participation in Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care: An Evidence-Based Improvement Initiative

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC), although preventable, can be lethal. An evidence-based interprofessional improvement initiative established CRC risk categorization in patients aged 45 to 75 years using national screening guidelines. A system-wide policy was created, and the guidelines were used across 3 primary care settings during every health encounter for 12 weeks to improve compliance, screening, and referrals for CRC. The numbers of Cologuard and fecal immunochemical tests returned by patients increased statistically after implementation (P = 0.001). A clinically significant 12-fold increase in positive screens with increased referrals for colonoscopy was seen. Patient navigators are recommended as best practice in comprehensive screening programs and contribute to increased compliance.