P0424 - Colon Cancer Screening Rates Among Hospital Employees in the Division of Gastroenterology: A Pilot Survey

Angela Barnes, MD, MBChB¹, Navkiran Randhawa, DO¹, Kwabena O. Adu-Gyamfi, MD², Joel Oduro-Afriyie, PhD³, Bobak Moazzami, MD⁴, Yasmeen Shahout, ¹, Gaurav Gopu, ⁵, Subbaramiah Sridhar, MBBS, MPH⁶, Humberto Sifuentes, MD⁶, John Erikson Yap, MD, MBA, FACG^7
1Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA; ²Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA; ³University of Idaho, Moscow, ID; ⁴Northside Hospital Gwinnett, Atlanta, GA; ⁵Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Cumming, GA; ⁶Augusta University, Augusta, GA; ⁷Metrodora Institute, West Valley City, UT

Introduction: Colon cancer (CRC) ranks third globally among cancers. Despite medical advances, screening rates are low, delaying detection of a preventable, treatable, and often curable cancer. Educating patients on screening is critical. However, it is equally crucial that those involved in the task of providing this education adhere to screening guidelines themselves. We surveyed gastroenterology division staff to assess their adherence to screening guidelines, given their role in advocating CRC screening.

Methods: A survey was distributed to employees in the gastroenterology divisions at two hospitals, inquiring about their CRC screening status. This included physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, technicians, and administrative staff who are involved in facilitating and educating patients about CRC screening. We targeted employees aged 45 and older as per recent CRC screening guidelines. A total of 37 participants completed the survey. We assessed the percentage of respondents who were up to date with their CRC screening and inquired about the reasons for the non-adherence.

Results: Out of the 37 participants, 75% were up to date with their CRC screenings, all of whom had undergone colonoscopies. Among the 25% who were not up to date, 45% reported that their primary care providers had not referred them for CRC screening. Additionally, 22% cited a lack of time, another 22% expressed disinterest in undergoing CRC screening, and 11% did not specify their reasons for opting out of CRC screening.

Discussion: Our data indicated higher CRC screening rates than the national average of 59% based on NHIS data, yet we anticipated greater adherence to CRC screening guidelines within our field. The primary barriers for those not up to date were lack of referral from primary care providers and personal constraints such as lack of time or disinterest. This study suggests that awareness and access are not the only limitations. Participants involved in facilitating patient screenings evidently have both, yet a significant proportion were disinterested in undergoing CRC screening themselves. Further studies are needed to address these issues, as effective advocacy for patient screening must begin with those who provide these services. Understanding and mitigating barriers faced by healthcare providers could enhance overall CRC screening rates and outcomes.



Disclosures:


Angela Barnes, MD, MBChB¹, Navkiran Randhawa, DO¹, Kwabena O. Adu-Gyamfi, MD², Joel Oduro-Afriyie, PhD³, Bobak Moazzami, MD⁴, Yasmeen Shahout, ¹, Gaurav Gopu, ⁵, Subbaramiah Sridhar, MBBS, MPH⁶, Humberto Sifuentes, MD⁶, John Erikson Yap, MD, MBA, FACG⁷. P0424 - Colon Cancer Screening Rates Among Hospital Employees in the Division of Gastroenterology: A Pilot Survey, ACG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Gastroenterology.