P3837 - Enhancing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Underserved Populations: Impact of Fecal Immunochemical Test Distribution on Colonoscopy and EGD Uptake in North Philadelphia

Christopher Grivas, MD, MBA¹, Abraham Ifrah, MD¹, Daniel Kotas, BS², Brianna Graham, MD¹, Nikita Dahake, MD³, Jennifer Marx, BSN², Gabrielle Gillow, MD¹, Shelby McNeilly, DO³, Manasa Vallabhaneni, MD¹, Samyuktha Manikandan, MD¹, Rishabh Khatri, MD¹, Claire Raab, MD^4
1Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA; ²Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; ³Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; ⁴Temple Health, Philadelphia, PA

Introduction: Temple University Hospital (TUH) has created an initiative to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in the underserved population of north Philadelphia through the administration of Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT). This serves as a preliminary tool to screen for high-risk patients, defined as FIT positive, and expedites them to receive a screening colonoscopy at TUH. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of distributing FIT kits on the uptake of both colonoscopy and EGD following a positive FIT test.

Methods: At the time of this writing, 687 FIT kits were distributed to individuals who met screening criteria for CRC screening colonoscopy per USPSTF guidelines. Kits were distributed either at events in the community of north Philadelphia, TUH, or to individuals who called and requested FIT kits. Individuals with positive FIT were referred to colonoscopy at TUH. The rate of colonoscopies with EGDs was also recorded and compared to 2023 data from TUH where 4,997 outpatient colonoscopies were performed, with 1,211 also involving an EGD. A chi-square test was utilized to compare the proportion of colonoscopies with concurrent EGDs between the FIT group and historical hospital data.

Results: Among the 687 distributed FIT kits, 31 have been positive (4.5%) and 10 colonoscopies have been performed so far. Remarkably, 50.0% (5/10) of these procedures have also involved an EGD, compared to 24.3% from the historical hospital data (Figure 1). Statistical comparison of these proportions yielded a p-value of 0.057, suggesting a trend towards significance suggesting a higher prevalence of combined GI procedures in the FIT screen population.

Discussion: The marked increase in the combination of colonoscopy and EGD procedures within the FIT cohort underscores a potentially higher prevalence of GI ailments in the FIT group compared to traditional healthcare system participants. This finding illustrates the critical role of TUH’s FIT distribution efforts in not only facilitating CRC screening but also in uncovering and addressing broader GI health issues that may have been previously gone unrecognized in underserved populations. By bridging the gap in preventive care, TUH’s initiative not only aids in early cancer detection but also enhances overall patient care showing casing a model for community health interventions that could be replicated in similar settings nationally.


Disclosures:


Christopher Grivas, MD, MBA¹, Abraham Ifrah, MD¹, Daniel Kotas, BS², Brianna Graham, MD¹, Nikita Dahake, MD³, Jennifer Marx, BSN², Gabrielle Gillow, MD¹, Shelby McNeilly, DO³, Manasa Vallabhaneni, MD¹, Samyuktha Manikandan, MD¹, Rishabh Khatri, MD¹, Claire Raab, MD⁴. P3837 - Enhancing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Underserved Populations: Impact of Fecal Immunochemical Test Distribution on Colonoscopy and EGD Uptake in North Philadelphia, ACG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Gastroenterology.