PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Klugas, Arturas
AU  - Elsayed, Sara
AU  - Rodriguez, Michael
AU  - Verma, Shourya
AU  - Bateman, Andre’
AU  - Stack, Matthew
TI  - Effects of Academic Detailing, Panel Management and Mailed Multi-Target Stool-DNA Testing on Colorectal Cancer Screening
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230082R1
DP  - 2024 Jan 03
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
PG  - jabfm.2023.230082R1
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/early/2023/12/27/jabfm.2023.230082R1.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/early/2023/12/27/jabfm.2023.230082R1.full
AB  - Introduction: Academic detailing, patient-panel management, and mailed, stool-based testing have each been utilized to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in rural clinics. The effectiveness of combining these interventions to increase CRC screening during COVID-19 restrictions was unclear.Methods: We explored the effects of a multi-component intervention including academic detailing, active patient panel management, and mailed MT-sDNA testing on colorectal cancer screening in our rural family medicine clinic. Baseline interventions included EMR-based provider alerts and mailed patient reminders. Our intervention (March–May 2020) and follow-up periods (June–August 2020) coincided with the initial COVID-19 surge, giving us the opportunity to observe the effects of our intervention during COVID-19 restrictions.Results: A total of 407 patients were eligible and overdue for colorectal cancer screening. Our clinic’s CRC screening rate increased significantly after intervention (69.7%) as compared with before (64.3%) (P = <0.01; 95%CI = 5.39-5.4). Our clinic’s CRC screening rates increased significantly during the initial 3 months of the COVID-19 surge (67.8%) compared with the same period the prior year. (62.3%) (P = .003; 95%CI = 3.4-7.6). Our CRC screening rates increased after intervention (69.7%) compared with our regional health system (67%) (P = <0.01; 95%CI = 2.6-2.77). Our weekly stool-based CRC screening increased (94% increase) compared with other health systems nationally (61 to 83% decrease).Discussion: A multi-component intervention, including academic detailing, panel management, and mailed MT-sDNA testing, can lead to significant increases in CRC screening in a rural family medicine clinic, empowering providers to maintain an effective CRC screening outreach during COVID-19 related restrictions.