• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Events
  • Articles
  • Contact
kentuckiana health collaborative 1

Kentuckiana Health Collaborative

Building a bridge to better health, better care and better value

  • About
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Strategies
    • Improve Healthcare Quality
    • Make Healthcare More Affordable
    • Build Healthier Communities
  • Initiatives
    • Community Measurement
    • COVID-19
    • Health Equity
    • Kentucky Core Healthcare Measures Set
    • National Hospital Price Transparency Study
    • Opioids and the Workplace
  • Members
    • About the Membership
    • Current Members
    • Member Resources
    • Member Portal
  • Join
Home / Measurement / Measure of the Month: Colorectal Cancer Screening

Measure of the Month: Colorectal Cancer Screening

Filed Under: Measurement March 28, 2018, Stephanie Clouser

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, but 60% of these deaths could be avoided if everyone 50 years or older had regular screening tests. In Kentucky, less than half of individuals over the age of 50 are getting screened with only slightly better scores in Kentuckiana with 56% getting the right screening. That translates into higher-than-national-average incidence and mortality rates in the Commonwealth. Kentucky leads the nation in CRC prevalence and is fourth in the nation for CRC deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data.

About 44 percent of people in Kentuckiana were not properly screened for colorectal cancer in 2015.

Since 2007, the KHC has measured appropriate colorectal cancer screening in Kentuckiana and Kentucky. While we’ve seen gains in screening (from 42% to 56% in Kentuckiana between 2007 and 2015), we still lag behind national levels, and it continues to be an area of focus throughout the Commonwealth.

There are a few ways that an individual can get screened for colorectal cancer. The traditional way is through a colonoscopy, which is done every 10 years, starting at age 50. But there are other – less intensive – methods that can also qualify as appropriate screening, depending on various factors. A flexible sigmoidoscopy, where a narrow tube with a camera is used to look inside the rectum and lower colon, can be done up to four years prior to the measurement year to satisfy screening requirements. Alternatively, a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) test, a test on a stool sample, qualifies if done during the measurement year.

Of course, the appropriate screening method will vary depending on various risk factors, including family history, previous diagnoses, and history of pre-cancerous polyps. It is important to speak to your physician about which method is best for you.

As a partner on the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Organized Approaches to Increase CRC grant, the KHC distributes annual individual provider and group practice reports throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky on CRC screening rates. We are also working with our network of local employers to provide resources for improving CRC screening rates. A KHC Colorectal Cancer Screening Resource for Employers webpage on the KHC website provides businesses with tools to improve their CRC screening rates.

Similar Articles

KCHMS Blog Photo

Call for Applications – 2021 KY Core Healthcare Measures Set Committees

December 17, 2020

The Kentuckiana Health Collaborative is filling rosters for the selection of the 2021 Kentucky Core Healthcare Measures set (KCHMS), a core healthcare measures set for Kentucky’s primary care providers, with the ultimate goal of aligning the priorities of Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers. The KCHMS was first released in June […]

Read More

Community Reports Highlight Improvements in Quality Metrics, but the Effects of COVID-19 on Primary Care Remain to be Seen

May 22, 2020

In April, the Kentuckiana Health Collaborative sent private reports to nearly 450 group practices throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Soon after, the KHC released its annual community reports, featuring highlights of where the community performs well and where there are gaps in care. On Thursday, the KHC held a webinar […]

Read More

Kentuckiana Health Collaborative Releases Community Measurement Reports, Collects Data on Opioid Prescribing

April 30, 2020

The Kentuckiana Health Collaborative is pleased to release the 2018 Community Measurement Reports, which also includes opioid prescribing data as part of the KHC’s partnership with the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE). For the last 15 years, the KHC has led the way in healthcare quality measurement and transparency through […]

Read More

Get the latest articles and updates.

Our email newsletter shares our latest research, initiatives and events.

Footer

  • About
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Members
    • About the Membership
    • Member Resources
    • Join the Membership
  • Strategies
    • Improve Healthcare Quality
    • Make Healthcare More Affordable
    • Build Healthier Communities
  • Initiatives
    • Community Measurement
    • COVID-19
    • Health Equity
    • National Hospital Price Transparency Study
    • Opioids and the Workplace
  • Connect
    • Events
    • Articles
    • Contact
khc logo blue

(502) 238-3603
1415 Bardstown Road, Mailbox 19, Louisville, KY 40204

Copyright © 2021 · Kentuckiana Health Collaborative · Privacy Policy · Sitemap · Stop Animations

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok