A Guideline Based Tool for Increasing Cancer Screening Rates

There is a need for better decision support tools to help doctors quickly assess patients' cancer screening status. Colorectal cancer screening is especially difficult to track because there are many screening options that take place over time and in different settings. The proposed research will address this issue by designing a tool that allows doctors to quickly assess patients' screening history and risk factors, educate patients on screening options, and keep track of the most recent national screening guidelines. The specific aims of this research are to develop a time-based visualization strategy, assess the usefulness and usability of the tool and identify strategies to incorporate the software into existing electronic health record systems. This effort will involve interviewing primary care providers and performing qualitative and quantitative analysis of the collected data. Anticipated results of the research are a decision-support tool that will integrate many sources of information into an easy-to-read display, recommendations for tool improvement and strategies of incorporation into existing health record systems. This tool is relevant to public health because it will allow doctors to better guide patients about colorectal cancer screening, which can significantly reduce mortality due to th is disease.