ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) is proud to announce a new project, made possible through a grant from Exact Sciences, that aims to improve colorectal cancer screening rates.
Physician associates/physician assistants (PAs) are often one of the first healthcare providers a patient sees, and thus are uniquely positioned to discuss screenings early on with patients.
AAPA Chief Medical Officer Jennifer M. Orozco-Kolb, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, said PAs play an important role in educating and encouraging patients to complete colorectal cancer screenings.
“The 5-year survival rate for a patient who is diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the early stages is upward of 91%,” Orozco-Kolb said. “When a patient is diagnosed at a later stage, that survival rate drops to almost 14%. Screening through either at home DNA stool testing or traditional colonoscopy procedures should be considered when having conversations with patients about what works best for them.”
The project consists of three phases. The first phase, which is underway, will feature focus group meetings with four federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Wisconsin and Arizona that previously received Exact Sciences funding to complete projects that improved colorectal cancer screening rates. These FQHCs were selected because they often serve underserved or uninsured patients who are less likely to access and complete colorectal cancer screenings.
These focus group meetings are expected to be completed by February 2025, when the second phase of the project will begin. This phase involves taking lessons learned and best practices gathered during the focus groups and creating an innovative toolkit that can be widely used by providers across the country to improve their own colorectal cancer screening rates.
The third phase will consist of taking the newly developed toolkit and implementing changes at select clinics across the country to measure outcomes.
In 2024, the American Cancer Society ranked colorectal cancer as the third deadliest form of cancer in men, and fourth deadliest cancer in women. It’s estimated that more than 152,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year.
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Media Contacts:
AAPA: Josh Birch, 443.614.5896
About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
AAPA is the national membership organization for all physician associates/physician assistants (PAs). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
