Measures to Monitor Quality of Colorectal Ca Screening Needed

Which test you utilize may be less important than ensuring that all of your patients are screened in a timely and recurring manner. Colonoscopy every 10 years is widely favored as the ideal screening test, but annual stool guaiac testing coupled with flexible sigmoidoscopy every 3 years or with sigmoidoscopy and double-contrast barium enema every 5 years also are recommended. CT colonography, or virtual colonoscopy, is not yet approved for payment by Medicare but appears to be effective as a screening tool.

The issue is simple: Get your patients screened for colon cancer and precancerous polyps by one of the available methods.