title: Opportunities to improve colorectal and breast cancer screening in Connecticut.
abstract: Colorectal and breast cancer represent serious and common public-health problems in the United States. While effective screening tests exist for both types of cancer, Connecticut lacks a consistent source of data about screening rates to guide improvement efforts. Beginning in 2011, the Connecticut Department of Public Health commissioned Qualidigm, the state's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, to conduct an analysis of the most recent fee-for-service Medicare claims data to determine screening rates for colorectal cancer (2000-2009) and breast cancer (2008-2009). This article highlights key findings of this analysis in order to increase awareness of opportunities for improvement in colorectal and breast cancer screening. The article also offers recommendations about next steps that primary care clinicians can consider to improve cancer screening among their patient populations.
authors: University of Connecticut School of Nursing, 231 Glenbrook Road, Unit 2026, Storrs, CT 06269-2026, USA. tom.vanhoof@uconn.edu
authors: Thomas J
authors: TJ
authors: Van Hoof
authors: Shih-Yieh
authors: SY
authors: Ho
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Kelvey-Albert
authors: Ches Donette
authors: CD
authors: Wright
authors: Thomas P
authors: TP
authors: Meehan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006278:Medicare; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States