The AHRQ has developed a quality measure to assess
the percentage of patients who receive appropriate CRC
screening recommendations. The survival rate for individuals
who discover CRC in the early stages is greater
than 90%; therefore, CRC screening is recommended
by many national organizations (AHRQ, 2008). Practice
quality can be determined by the percentage of patients
who receive recommended screening for CRC. Consequences
of a missed opportunity to offer CRC screening
can lead to morbidity and medical malpractice suits. Failure
to screen patients can result in a delayed diagnosis
and a missed positive screening test can lead to complaints
from patients, a possible missed cancer, and the
potential for medical malpractice claims.
Barriers to screening do and will continue to exist. Future
healthcare reform and the push for a national CRC
screening program will be beneficial to reach those patients
who are underinsured or uninsured. Factors such
as lack of awareness, cultural influence, lack of insurance,
and decreased access to care are all barriers to screening.
A provider’s recommendation should be issued to
all eligible populations regardless of race or culture. A
combination of FIT and colonoscopy would be sufficient
to screen all eligible patients in an individual practice.
Using simple strategies and making changes to primary
care practice will make a difference in the incidence and
mortality from CRC.