A digital screening tool and live navigation framework could serve as a “key solution” in driving colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, according to a study presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.
Kim Newcomer, of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, and colleagues evaluated the CRC screening navigation model, which was delivered in a virtual platform by a patient advocacy organization. The Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s Screening Quiz “is a risk stratification tool that connects respondents to live certified cancer care navigators delivering evidence-based interventions to increase CRC screening, education and patient and family support,” according to Ms. Newcomer and colleagues.
The program’s framework “utilizes small and mass media, one-on-one education and patient navigation services to help address and reduce barriers to care.” Previous research has also shown that “on-time screening for CRC leads to better outcomes,” according to the study authors.
Using a Quiz to Provide Virtual CRC Screening, Connect Patients With Navigation
The quiz contains questions about personal and family history, hereditary syndromes, and demographics. This information provides a CRC screening recommendation based on current United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. Respondents can opt-in to be triaged to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s patient navigation team for follow-up.
The patient navigation team uses phone calls and emails to contact people who are symptomatic or at high risk of CRC. The navigation team also uses phone calls and emails to contact people with an average risk of CRC who are uninsured. People with insurance and an average risk of CRC receive emails from the navigation team.
The navigation team connects people at risk of CRC with resources such as financial assistance, free at-home screening tests, and colonoscopy scheduling services. The screening quiz has been promoted in multiple ways, including social media, influencer campaigns, and community outreach.
The median age of quiz respondents was 48 years old, and one-third of respondents were aged 45-64 years. Most respondents (71%) were female. Around three-quarters (74.3%) of respondents were White, but nearly half of the respondents who opted into navigation identified as non-White, including 14.4% who were Black, 17.8% who were Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% who were Asian, and 2.5% who were Native American.
The quiz provided over 30,000 screening recommendations from July 2022-August 2023. Most respondents were symptomatic (65.5%) and 7.3% were high-risk asymptomatic. Respondents who were symptomatic or high-risk asymptomatic represented nearly all (88%) respondents who were triaged to patient navigation services.
“This digital screening tool and live navigation framework may serve as a key solution in driving CRC screening compared to other interventions,” Ms. Newcomer and colleagues explained, noting this tool may be particularly helpful because it provides access to “live navigation, educational resources, and support services for CRC screening and diagnosis.”
The presenters concluded that the Colorectal Cancer Alliance is “uniquely positioned with its national network of volunteers, partners, and community presence to effectively reach at-risk communities,” and they will “continue to leverage the screening quiz in partnership with health care and community stakeholders to close colorectal cancer screening gaps.”
Reference
Newcomer K, Guevara A, Pearson M, Hall L, et al. Colorectal Cancer Alliance: Promoting prevention and early detection with screening navigation and a personalized recommendation via a digital screening quiz tool for colorectal cancer. Abstract #71. Presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium; January 18-20, 2024; San Francisco, California.
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