What to know
The screening policies, procedures, and practices within health facilities focus area includes tools and resources to assess the status of cancer screening, make cancer screening a priority, reduce structural barriers, and use data to identify patients due for screening and opportunities to improve cancer screening rates within a clinical setting or system.
Introduction
This page is part of the Cervical Cancer Screening Change Package.
Change concepts are "general notions that are useful for developing more specific strategies for changing a process."1 Change ideas are evidence-based or practice-based "actionable, specific ideas or strategies."1 Each change idea is linked to tools and resources that can be used or adapted to improve cancer screening.
Note: See a list of acronyms used in this change package.
Select a change concept:
- Make cancer screening a priority.
- Implement population management strategies for all eligible patients.
- Establish standard operating procedures for screening.
- Use risk assessment tools and follow-up.
- Practice patient education, communication, and shared decision making.
- Implement patient and provider reminder systems.
- Reduce structural barriers in the health care setting.
Change concept: Make cancer screening a priority.
- NACHC — Value Transformation Framework: Cancer Screening, page 4
- HRSA — UDS Clinical Quality Measures 2022, page 2
- NQF — ABCs of Measurement
Change concept: Implement population management strategies for all eligible patients.
- ACS — Cancer Facts and Figures for African American/Black People 2022–2024
- ACS — Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Facts and Figures 2022, (tables and figures only) pages 35–36
- CDC — United States Cancer Statistics: Data Visualizations Tool (see Screening and Risk Factors tab)
- NACHC — Value Transformation Framework: Cancer Screening, page 5
- NCQA — Cervical Cancer Screening (CCS)
- CDC — United States Cancer Statistics (USCS): Data Visualizations Tool
- NACHC — Value Transformation Framework: Cancer Screening, page 5
- NIH, NCI, and CDC — State Cancer Profiles Interactive Maps
Change concept: Establish standard operating procedures for screening.
- NACHC — Value Transformation Framework: Cancer Screening, pages 6–7
- NACHC — Value Transformation Framework: Cancer Screening, pages 5–8
Change concept: Use risk assessment tools and follow-up.
- University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute — Does Cervical Cancer Run in Families? [B]
- BU, NCI, CDC, and ACS — Cervical Cancer Risk Assessor [English and Spanish]
Change concept: Practice patient education, communication, and shared decision making.
- GW Cancer Center — Guide for Patient Navigators: A Supplement to the Oncology Patient Navigator Training: The Fundamentals, pages 83–88
- Kunneman M, Montori VM, Castaneda-Guarderas A, Hess EP, 2016 — What Is Shared Decision Making? (and What It Is Not)
- ObG Curbside Consult — Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines – Key Points for Shared Decision Making with Your Patients
- ACOG — Cervical Cancer [pamphlets]
- ASCO — Mammogram [B]
- CDC — Face Your Health: A Learning Session for Women
- CDC — Under the Paper Gown: A Comedy Web Series [B] [videos]
- WPSI — Well-Woman Chart [B] [English and Spanish]
- GW Cancer Center — Health Equity Toolbox: Resources to Foster Cultural Sensitivity and Equitable Care for All
- GW Cancer Center — Practice Patient-Centered Care Posters
- GW Cancer Center — Practice Patient-Centered Care Posters
- CDC — Screening for Cervical Cancer [B] [English and Spanish]
Change concept: Implement patient and provider reminder systems.
- Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) Fox Chase Cancer Center — Tailored Communication for Cervical Cancer Risk-Program Materials
- Nevada Cancer Coalition — Patient Reminder Postcard [A] [sample postcard]
Change concept: Reduce structural barriers in the health care setting.
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — Accountable Health Communities Model [social needs screening tool]
- The Community Guide — Cancer Screening: Reducing Structural Barriers for Clients – Cervical Cancer
- President's Cancer Panel — Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening: Connecting People, Communities, and Systems to Improve Equity and Access, pages 3 and 17–19
- BMC and AVON Foundation for Women — The Boston Medical Center Patient Navigation Toolkit 1st edition
- Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) — Kukui Ahi (Light the Way): Patient Navigation – Addressing Barriers Worksheet; Implementation Guide
- GW Cancer Center — Guide for Patient Navigators: A Supplement to the Oncology Patient Navigator Training: The Fundamentals
- GW Cancer Center — Together, Equitable, Accessible, Meaningful (TEAM) Training [CEU course, free, registration required]
- NIHB — Health Systems Improvement Toolkit: A Guide to Cancer Screenings in Indian Country, pages 25–26
- Juckett G, Unger K, 2014 — Appropriate Use of Medical Interpreters
- NACHC — Value Transformation Framework: Cancer Screening pages 6–9
- NIHB — Health Systems Improvement Toolkit: A Guide to Cancer Screenings in Indian Country page 25
- The Community Guide — Cancer Screening: Reducing Structural Barriers for Clients – Breast Cancer
- BMC and AVON Foundation for Women — The Boston Medical Center Patient Navigation Toolkit 1st edition pages 5–19
- Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) — Kukui Ahi (Light the Way): Patient Navigation – Facility Tour Worksheet
Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco Cessation Change Package. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2019.
- This resource may contain some information that does not reflect the current US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for cervical cancer screening.
- Indicates a patient resource.