The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Nationwide Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Israel, an Observational Study

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic caused marked disruptions in healthcare services, including cancelation or deferral of routine and non-emergent procedures. We used the database of the largest health maintenance organization (HMO) in Israel, Clalit Health Services (CHS), to collect data of all members between the ages 50-74 years who were eligible for colorectal cancer screening.MethodsThree timeframes were defined: pre-COVID-19; 1st year, and 2nd year of the pandemic. We evaluated the frequencies of subjects who underwent CRC screening and described any trends along each demographic.ResultsThe pre-pandemic, 1st year and 2nd year cohorts included 926,852, 937,403, and 941,704 subjects, respectively. Compared to the baseline year, the screening rates overall were 2.1% and 2.7% lower in the 1st and 2nd year, respectively. Steeper declines in screening were observed among Arab and Orthodox Jewish populations. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of patients who completed a colonoscopy following a positive FIT, and no difference found between various ages, genders, and other population groups.ConclusionOur findings could have implications for early detection and treatment of CRC within these two specific demographic groups.