Health Systems Improvement to Increase Cancer Screening in Clinical Settings

Overview

The Health Systems Improvement program is a New York State Department of Health initiative that supportshealth care practices to improve breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates. Health systems that participate in this initiative provide health care to people who are medically underserved and who are less likely to receive regular cancer screenings. Health systems for this program are Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), community clinics, and primary care practices.

Program Activities

Health systems improve cancer screening rates by implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs). EBIs are well researched and tested strategies shown to protect and improve health. EBIs to increase breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer screening include:

  1. Barrier reduction: Health systems remove barriers that make it difficult for people to access cancer screening. These include offering extended office hours, hosting mobile mammography in the community, and distributing at-home fecal screening tests.
  2. Education: Delivering information about the importance of cancer screening can motivate patients to get screened. Messages may be general to reach a wide audience or tailored to reach specific patient populations. Education can be in groups or one-to-one and may include videos and printed materials (known as small media).
  3. Employing community health workers: Community health workers are trained frontline health workers who are from or who have a close understanding of the communities they serve. Community health workers can provide education or patient navigation services.
  4. Patient navigation: Health care system staff, community health workers, or volunteers who help patients overcome barriers and promote access to cancer screening. Patient navigation can include arranging for transportation, scheduling appointments, improving communication and access to information, and addressing patients' fear or mistrust.
  5. Patient reminders: Reminders are sent to patients to indicate they are due for screening. Reminders are sent via mail, electronically (e-mail or electronic health record notice), and/or phone call.
  6. Provider assessment and feedback: These "report cards" let providers know how many of their patients are up to date on screening recommendations.
  7. Provider reminders: Routine reminders are given to health care providers to discuss cancer screening with their patient when the patient is due for screening. Reminders are in electronic health records or patient charts.
  8. Multicomponent interventions: This is using a combination of evidence-based interventions at the same time.

Find out more about evidence-based interventions in The Community Guide.

Program Impact

From 2020 to 2025 the New York State Department of Health worked with 20 clinic sites to implement health systems improvements:

  • Clinics implemented more than 100 interventions
  • On average, clinics improved their colorectal cancer screening rates by 36%

Available Training

Communication Strategies to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates- This one-hour online training session focuses on how health care practitioners can effectively communicate the importance of colorectal cancer screening to their patients. The training covers framing colorectal cancer screening messages, promoting shared decision-making, and using communication strategies to increase the likelihood that patients will follow screening recommendations. While geared toward primary care physicians, the training is valuable for all healthcare professionals, such as nurses, patient navigators, community health workers, and others who engage patients in conversations about cancer screening. Continuing education credits are available for those who complete this course.

Additional Resources

For More Information

Email canserv@health.ny.gov