Cancer Screening Quality Improvement
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About the Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Program
The Cancer Screening Quality Improvement (CSQI) program aims to increase screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer in clinics by:
- Enhancing services
- Removing patient barriers
- Decreasing missed opportunities for screening
The CSQI program partners with health care systems and clinics serving communities disproportionately burdened by cancer.
Evidence-based interventions
The program works with primary care clinics to implement Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs) demonstrated to increase breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates within clinic populations.
CSQI clinics focus on enhancing or implementing the EBIs recommended by the Community Preventative Services Task Force (CPSTF) located within the Guide to Community Preventive Services.
- Provider assessment and feedback
- Provider assessment and feedback interventions evaluate provider performance in delivering or offering screening to patients (assessment) and present providers with information about their performance in providing screening services (feedback).
- Provider reminders
- Provider reminders inform health care providers that it is time for a patient’s cancer screening test or that the patient is overdue for screening.
- Patient reminders
- Patient reminders are written messages (letter, postcard, email, patient portal) or telephone messages (direct calls or automated messages) to patients reminding them that they are due or overdue for screening.
- Reducing structural barriers
- Structural barriers are burdens or obstacles, other than cost, that make it difficult for people to access cancer screening services.
CSQI supports partner clinics in the selection and implementation of evidence-based interventions. Partner clinics select at least two of the four EBIs listed above. Clinics that receive a CSQI grant work with MDH to assess their current clinic processes and develop a plan to identify and implement EBIs with a goal of increasing cancer screening rates at their clinic using a health equity approach. Health equity is creating the ability for everyone to reach their optimal health and well-being. Learn more about what makes us healthy: Creating Health Equity in Minnesota.
Read more about CSQI grantees and partners.
Cancer screening tools
The CSQI program educates providers on current screening recommendations for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. The program utilizes cancer screening recommendations made by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF reviews relevant literature to establish reliable and safe evidence-based recommendations for cancer screening.
USPSTF cancer screening recommendations
Screening for cancer means looking for signs of cancer in a person who may or may not have cancer symptoms. Health care professionals often screen for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. Depending on the type of cancer, screening can find abnormal growths or lumps, which then may be able to be removed by a health care provider. Ontime screening can prevent colorectal cancer and allows for other cancers to be detected and diagnosed early before they spread and start impacting other areas of the body.
- USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendations
- USPSTF cervical cancer screening recommendations
- USPSTF colorectal cancer screening recommendations
The USPSTF sets national screening recommendations independent of the U.S. government because some screening recommendations vary slightly by organization.
Provider toolkits
The CSQI program connects providers with tools and technical assistance partners to help with implementing EBIs that have been demonstrated to increase cancer screening rates. The fundamental tool of CSQI are toolkits created by the CDC known as The Cancer Screening Change Packages (PDF). They give health care facilitates a list of evidence-based and practice-based changes as well as tools and resources for clinical teams. These packages support the delivery of cancer screening services that have received A or B recommendations from the USPSTF. Cancer Screening Change Packages are available for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers.
Funding
The CSQI program receives grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) and the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP).