Understanding colorectal screening behaviors and factors associated with screening in a community hospital setting

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. More than 2,000 Kentuckians are diagnosed with CRC annually, and more than 800 die from the disease. Little research has been conducted in Kentucky to better understand why individuals are not screened for CRC and what strategies might encourage them to do so.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of educational materials mailed to participants supporting the need for CRC screening on the decision to complete screening post-hospital discharge. An additional focus was to identify the characteristics of individuals screened and not screened.

A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 167 adult patients discharged from a 383-bed Magnet-designated hospital. An investigator-designed, semistructured telephone interview was conducted to collect data on research-based factors identified to influence CRC screening rates.

Although not statistically significant, slightly more patients who remembered receiving educational materials in the mail completed screening. Future educational efforts should focus on the importance of screening and financial resource availability.