Multilevel Action Toward Colorectal Cancer and Hepatitis C Education and Screening (MATCHES): Study protocol for a...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The Multilevel Action Toward Colorectal Cancer and Hepatitis C Education and Screening (MATCHES) trial protocol is detailed.
• The study targets adults aged 45-75 in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) not up-to-date with colorectal cancer (CRC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) screenings.
• Aims include promoting CRC and HCV screening and evaluating implementation outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To promote both CRC and HCV screening uptake among eligible primary care patients.
• To examine the implementation outcomes of a multilevel intervention designed to increase screening rates.
• To provide insights for scaling up interventions that encourage multiple screening behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A stepped wedge design will randomize 10 FQHC sites across two waves.
• Intervention strategies encompass system (EHR alerts, SOPs), clinician (training, feedback), and patient (educational booklets, testing access) levels.
• The primary outcome is dual CRC and HCV screening uptake at 12 months among 350 participants; system-wide rates and implementation barriers/facilitators will also be assessed.

Main Results:

• The project is currently ongoing.
• Effectiveness and implementation outcomes are pending study completion.

Conclusions:

• Study results are expected to inform future scale-up of the intervention.
• Findings may offer valuable insights into promoting multiple screening behaviors within a single intervention strategy.