Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among young adults in America. After results of an analysis from American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers unveiled an increase of CRC cases in younger adults, the ACS updated the CRC screening guidelines.
The updated guidelines provide guidance to young adults who may be at risk for CRC, clinicians who refer patients for CRC screenings, and healthcare systems to establish best practices for awareness, early detection, and prevention.
The new guidelines recommend the following:
- Those at risk of CRC should begin regular screening at the age of 45
- Those who are in good health should continue routine screening at the age of 75
- Those who are ages 76-85 should be screened based on preference, overall health, and screening history
Updated guidelines also indicate that there are six screening options, ranging from noninvasive stool tests to visual exams like colonoscopy, depending on the preference of the patient and availability of the test.
How Should Gastroenterology Practices Address Updated Guidelines?
Gastroenterology practices must be prepared to perform additional outreach to patients that qualify for CRC screenings. Although this can be a resource-intensive task, automated outreach can help increase staff efficiency. By automating the outreach process, staff hours are spent efficiently while patients are encouraged to schedule visits and screenings.
Early detection, prompt treatment, and continuous care can reduce the severity and risk of complications from CRC. However, the first step is getting your patients in to receive a screening. Outreach to patients doesn’t have to be a tedious and costly task. Leverage technology to empower staff to scale meaningful patient engagement to proactively detect CRC.
The key for addressing guidelines is identifying and engaging the patients eligible under these new guidelines. The most effective screening outreach programs will be personalized by patient language, communication method, and area code.
CipherHealth’s automated outreach solution seamlessly integrates with your registry to identify and reach out to eligible patients. Customized scripts and robust reporting allow for organizations to proactively identify and engage patients to drive improved outcomes. With this solution, your practices remove the challenges of having staff sort through patient registries to identify those who are due for screenings and manually having to reach out, saving countless hours on repetitive administrative tasks.
If you are interested in learning more about how to proactively engage your patients, access these free resources:
– Article:
Practices Boost Revenue and Efficiencies Through Automation
– Article:
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