November 4, 2016: Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care: A Focus on STOP CRC

November 4, 2016: Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care: A Focus on STOP CRC

Topic

Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care: A Focus on STOP CRC

Presenters

Gloria D. Coronado, PhD, Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research

Beverly B. Green, MD, MPH, Associate Investigator, Group Health Research Institute

Amanda F. Petrik, MS, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research

Keywords

Cluster-randomized trial; CRT; Pragmatic clinical trial; PCT; Colon cancer screening; STOP CRC; NIH Collaboratory Trial; Implementation; Plan-Do-Study-Act; PDSA; Electronic health record; EHR; EMR

Key Points

  • Strategies and Opportunities to Stop Colorectal Cancer in Priority Populations (STOP CRC) is an NIH Collaboratory Trial. The goal of this large-scale pragmatic trial is to study the effectiveness of an automated CRC screening program among diverse patient populations in federally qualified health clinics (FQHCs) in the Northwest United States.
  • Colon cancer screening saves lives. Fecal testing is an important component of a colon cancer screening program; it is less expensive, and patients prefer it. The STOP CRC intervention involves mailing a fecal immunochemical test (FIT kit) to eligible patients as a CRC screening method that can be done at home.
  • In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of the clinical intervention, STOP CRC is studying strategies to improve the program’s implementation. An important element is the use of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)—a process improvement approach conducted in partnership with clinic leadership teams.

Discussion Themes

An important aspect of the STOP CRC intervention is that it is adaptable to clinic needs. Engagement in the PDSA approach between leadership and the study team helps to optimize the implementation at participating sites.

What factors need to be accounted for in measuring the “reach” of the STOP CRC intervention? Is willingness to participate always the best measure?

STOP CRC is a potentially high-impact study, with promising pilot findings. The next phase of STOP CRC will disseminate specialized EHR tools to community health centers in Washington state.

For More Information

For more information, visit the STOP CRC NIH Collaboratory Trial page and the STOP CRC study website.

Tags
#STOPCRC, #ColorectalCancer, #pctGR
@PCTGrandRounds, @Collaboratory1, @PCORnetwo