[Ouality indicators for the evaluation of colorectal cancer screening programmes]

Colorectal cancer screening programmes, which are supported by national and international recommendations, are gradually developing andspreading throughout Italy. The programmes strive to guarantee maximum equality, improve quality of life, and inform the target population about benefits and possible risks. These goals can only be achieved with adequate planning and training for the staff involved. Moreover, it is essential to regularly verify the quality of each step of the process, with a system that can constantly monitor the parameters used for the evaluation of quality and efficacy. The present document, created by the Italian Group for Colorectal Screening (GISCoR), proposes a unified method for collecting and reporting screening data using commonly agreed terminology, definitions and classifications, thus making it possible to compare data with standards and data from other programmes, and to plan suitable interventions. The indicators considered refer to the entire screening process, including organisational, logistic and performance indicators. The indicators are provided in the form of concise and easy-to-use data sheets. Every data sheet contains briefsections: definition of the indicator, goal, the data necessary to build it, the formula required to build it, possible problems of interpretation, acceptable and desirable standards.