What to know
The community-clinical linkages focus area includes tools and resources to engage community members and organizations to support screening efforts, reduce structural barriers to screening, and implement outreach and referral between community and clinical organizations.
Introduction
This page is part of the Colorectal 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.
Change concept: Engage community members and organizations to support screening efforts.
Engage or train community leaders and others.
- CCSPSC — CCSPSC Champions Program, see activities, pages 22–30
Change concept: Engage community-based health professionals to refer or recommend individuals for screening.
Engage pharmacists to deliver home-based screening tests or recommend and refer individuals for screening.
- Brenner A, Rohweder C, Wangen M, et al. — PharmFIT: Perspectives from Primary Care Providers on a Pharmacy-Based Distribution of Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Kits for Home Colorectal Cancer Screening, 2020
- Kentucky Board of Pharmacy — Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening Protocol v1
Engage community health workers to recommend and refer individuals for screening.
- Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) — Against Colorectal Cancer in Our Neighborhoods (ACCION),A see Program Materials
- President's Cancer Panel — Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening: Connecting People, Communities, and Systems to Improve Equity and Access, pages iii and 18–21
- The Community Guide — Cancer Screening: Interventions Engaging Community Health Workers — Colorectal Cancer
Change concept: Reduce structural barriers to screening in the community.
Enlist patient navigators or community health workers to help individuals access screening.
- ACS and CCCNP — Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan: Colorectal Cancer Tip Sheet, page 9
- Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) — Against Colorectal Cancer in Our Neighborhoods (ACCION),A see Program Materials [English and Spanish]
- GW Cancer Center — Guide for Patient Navigators: A Supplement to the Oncology Patient Navigator Training: The Fundamentals,A pages 7–9 and 64–69
- GW Cancer Center — Together, Equitable, Accessible, Meaningful (TEAM) Training [CEU course, free, registration required]
- President's Cancer Panel — Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening: Connecting People, Communities, and Systems to Improve Equity and Access, pages 19–20
- The Community Guide — Cancer Screening: Interventions Engaging Community Health Workers — Colorectal Cancer
Identify transportation or transportation vouchers for screening appointments.
- AHA — Social Determinants of Health Series: Transportation and the Role of Hospitals
- CMS — Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT)
- NIHB — Health Systems Improvement Toolkit: A Guide to Cancer Screenings in Indian Country, pages 25–26
- The Community Guide — Cancer Screening: Reducing Structural Barriers for Clients – Colorectal Cancer
Identify dependent care so that parents and caregivers can attend screening appointments.
- NIHB — Health Systems Improvement Toolkit: A Guide to Cancer Screenings in Indian Country, pages 25–26
- The Community Guide — Cancer Screening: Reducing Structural Barriers for Clients – Colorectal Cancer
Offer tests that patients can take at home.
- CDC, NACDD, and Kaiser Permanente CHR — Mailed FIT Implementation Guide
- Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) — Fecal Immunochemical Test and Colonoscopy Outreach,A see Program Materials: FIT Invitation Letter [English and Spanish]
- Kaiser Permanente CHR — Patient Frequently Asked Questions [English and Spanish]
- President's Cancer Panel — Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening: Connecting People, Communities, and Systems to Improve Equity and Access, pages iii–iv, 10, 17–18, 21–23, 41, and 60
Use telehealth for screening consultations.
- HHS — Preparing Patients for Telehealth Cancer Care
- President's Cancer Panel — Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening: Connecting People, Communities, and Systems to Improve Equity and Access, pages 3 and 17–19
Develop (or use existing) resource and information hubs, such as 211, to address the intersection of health and social services and help individuals access screening.
- 211 — Healthcare ExpensesB
- Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) — Against Colorectal Cancer in Our Neighborhoods (ACCION),A see Program Materials
- Findhelp.org — FindHelpB [multiple languages]
Change concept: implement bi-directional outreach and referral systems for screening.
Establish formal partnerships or systems between health care organizations and community-based organizations to ensure clinical and community linkages to screening.
- BMC and AVON Foundation for Women — The Boston Medical Center Patient Navigation Toolkit 1st ed, pages 21–29
- 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.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco Cessation Change Package. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2019.