Blue Review
A newsletter for physician, professional, facility, ancillary and Medicaid providers

February 2018

Colon Cancer Screenings Goal: 80% Member Participation in 2018 – Will You Commit?

In collaboration with the American Cancer Society and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) and Dr. Esteban López, BCBSTX Chief Medical Officer, have signed a pledge to have 80 percent of our members ages 50-75 screened for colorectal cancer (CRC) by the end of 2018.

Dr. López said, "Overall health is important to us at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. We strongly encourage all our members age 50 and older to get screened for colon cancer. Members younger than 50 with risk factors for colon cancer may need screening starting at an earlier age. We are reaching out to you, as their providers, to help get the word out and to make colorectal cancer screening a priority."

How far away are we from reaching this goal? In 2017, the National Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) PPO average was 58.3 percent compared to BCBSTX’s commercial PPO HEDIS result of 50 percent.

We need your help to reach this goal! Over the next few months we will be providing articles on CRC screenings, as well as barriers to those screenings. These articles will provide useful information such as:

  • CRC screening test options and selections most suitable for your patients
  • Overcoming barriers to CRC screenings

What influences these results? You do! The biggest influencer to motivate patients to get screened is you and your staff. Identify your patients who need it, talk to them about the importance of CRC screenings and then get them screened! Once this happens, they can be easily tracked for annual follow-up.

What actions can you take to make a difference?

  • Easily identify patients by using colored folders or flagging the EMR for those ages 50-75 and start that conversation.
  • Have standing orders for CRC screenings for those ages 50-75 and follow through with them.
  • Direct your most persuasive and educated staff to answer questions and concerns, and help patients commit and complete CRC screenings.