Utilizing Quality Improvement Methodology to Address Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening Between Faculty and...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Quality Improvement Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Health system data indicated a 14% disparity in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates between resident and faculty patient panels.
• This disparity suggests potential barriers to CRC screening within resident-led primary care settings.
• Addressing these disparities is crucial for equitable cancer prevention and early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify causes for CRC screening disparities in resident patient panels.
• To implement and evaluate an innovative, resident-led quality improvement (QI) intervention to reduce these disparities.
• To assess the impact of an interprofessional panel management protocol on CRC screening rates.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was conducted across two academic primary care clinics.
• Residents engaged stakeholders to identify causes for CRC screening disparities and potential solutions.
• A novel interprofessional panel management protocol was implemented to guide population health strategies and streamline navigation for CRC screening.

Main Results:

• After four months, CRC screening rates in resident panels improved from 62% to 68%.
• The disparity in CRC screening between faculty and resident panels decreased from 14% to 10%, a 29% reduction.
• The interprofessional panel management protocol demonstrated significant effectiveness in increasing CRC screening rates.

Conclusions:

• An interprofessional panel management protocol effectively increased CRC screening rates in resident primary care panels.
• This intervention successfully reduced disparities in CRC screening, highlighting the importance of multipronged approaches.
• QI initiatives and panel management strategies are vital for improving cancer screening equity and outcomes.