Patients are more likely to participate in colorectal cancer screening if they have a strong relationship with their healthcare provider, according to a study published April 24 in Cancer Medicine.
Researchers from Renton, Wash.-based Providence surveyed 1,798 patients in racially diverse communities to identify colorectal cancer screening barriers.
Here are five things to know from the study:
- Survey respondents were more likely to adhere to colorectal cancer screening recommendations if they understood the importance of early detection, knew the disease could be asymptomatic, that it is the second-deadliest cancer and that at-home tests were available.
- The most common barriers to screening were being asymptomatic, lack of motivation and not receiving a physician screening order.
- Having an established relationship with a healthcare provider was identified as the strongest indicator that a patient would participate in colorectal cancer screening after researchers conducted additional focus groups.
- To address screening barriers, Providence’s Community Health Action Teams developed six messages to be shared by healthcare providers and community outreach.
The messages are:
- Emphasizing the treatability of colorectal cancer
- Promoting early detection
- Discouraging delayed screening based on symptoms
- Clarifying the recommended screening start age
- Highlighting insurance coverage for screening
- Educating patients about alternatives to colonoscopy
- “This study offers a practical roadmap for health systems and community organizations seeking to reduce screening disparities and improve early detection of colorectal cancer, particularly in communities historically underserved by the healthcare system,” Staci Wendt, PhD, research director at Providence’s Health Research Accelerator and co-author of the study, said in a May 6 news release from the health system.
Read the full study here.
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