Patients are more likely to receive colorectal cancer screening when primary care practices use an office systems approach, according to an article in the March 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Screenings for colorectal cancer (CRC) reduce its incidence and mortality from the disease, according to background information in the article. Up to fifty percent of people 50 years or older have been screened for CRC by fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or lower endoscopy. Clinician advice for CRC screening can be a major force in a patient obtaining screening tests; however, clinicians face a complicated series of recommended testing strategies for CRC screening.
Esther K. Wei, Sc.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues studied the efficacy of an office systems method in improving CRC screening behaviors. An office systems approach includes five clinician behaviors: educating patients; identifying patients due for screening; enabling patient compliance; monitoring patient compliance; and notifying patients of their test results. American Cancer Society staff visited practices and found areas for improvement in CRC screening, spending an average of 3 ½ hours in direct contact via telephone or in-person interaction. One hundred twenty-seven clinicians who were provided with resources, tools, and support to make possible positive changes also completed follow-up questionnaires.