Implementing a Cancer Screening Patient Registry in an Urban Student-Run Free Clinic: A Model for Preventive Care...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Informatics

Background:

• National cancer screening adherence falls short of Healthy People 2030 targets, particularly for uninsured and low-income individuals.
• Colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer (BC) screening rates are critically low in vulnerable populations, hindering early detection.
• Existing screening workflows have identified failure points impacting care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a patient registry system for tracking cancer screening eligibility and orders.
• To improve colorectal cancer and breast cancer screening rates within an urban, student-run free clinic serving the uninsured.
• To identify and address barriers in the screening process for underserved patient populations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review to establish baseline screening rates (2021-2023).
• Process mapping to identify workflow inefficiencies in cancer screening.
• Implementation of a 15-month patient registry intervention (Jan 2024-Mar 2025) to monitor eligibility and increase screening orders.

Main Results:

• Baseline CRC and BC screening rates were 18.3% and 12.6%, respectively.
• Post-intervention, CRC screening increased to 34.4% (statistically significant) and BC screening to 30.3% (showing positive trends).
• Targeted patient identification irrespective of visit reason boosted screening order rates.

Conclusions:

• A patient registry is an effective, cost-effective, and replicable strategy for increasing cancer screening rates in free clinic settings.
• This approach facilitates earlier cancer detection and improved patient outcomes among uninsured populations.
• The registry model is adaptable for monitoring other chronic conditions in similar healthcare environments.