Organized FIT outreach increases CRC screening
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An organized outreach program that mailed fecal immunochemical tests directly to patients helped improved colorectal cancer screening rates over multiple years, according to research from Digestive Disease Week.
Briton Lee, from the University of California, San Francisco, said in a recorded audio presentation, that CRC screening rates still fall short of where they need to be, FIT screening presents an opportunity to raise the bar.
“FIT [screenings] have been found to be effective in safety net settings and will be essential in helping us achieve our national goal of 80% screening,” he said. “Mailed FIT is particularly helpful because it can be initiated independent of actually having to go into an office and see your [primary care provider].”
Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial in which they assigned patients who were not up to date with CRC screening to the outreach intervention (n = 5,386) or usual care (n = 5,434). The outreach group received an advanced notification call and informational postcard prior to a mailed FIT.
The primary outcome was the cumulative proportion exposed to screening over multiple cycles. Researchers also examined screening as the proportion of time covered during which a patient was up to date with FIT screening in the outreach group compared with the control group. They defined consistent compliance as completing two out of two FITs and intermittent compliance as one of two FITs.
At the end of 2.5 years of follow-up, the cumulative FIT screening was higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (73.2% vs. 55.1%; P < .001). The intervention group also had a higher proportion of time covered (50.2% vs. 35.7%; P < .001).
Of the patients who completed at least 2 years of follow-up, the intervention group had a higher rate of consistent compliance (50.1% vs. 21.8%) and lower rates of intermittent (23.1% vs. 33.3%) or no compliance (6.8% vs. 44.9%; P < 0.001) compared with the control group.
“Overall, we find that mailed FIT outreach increased proportion of time covered by 18%,” Lee said. “Further work is needed to increase FIT coverage for some of the populations that we’ve identified in our study who do have a low participation over multiple years.” – by Alex Young
Reference:
Lee B, et al. Abstract 577. Presented at: Digestive Disease Week; May 2-5, 2020; Chicago (meeting canceled).
Disclosures: Lee reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study abstract for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.