Date of Award
Spring 5-30-2016
Document Type
Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Advisor
Dr. Patricia Keane, PhD, RN
First Committee Member
Dr. Jacqueline Haverkamp, DNP, RN, CNP, NHA
Second Committee Member
Dr. Gabrielle Rude, PhD
Keywords
Colorectal Cancer, Cancer Screening, Rural Health Care, Practice Change
Subject Categories
Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States (Siegel, DeSantis, & Jemal, 2014). The United States Preventative Services Task Force (2008) “recommends screening for CRC using fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy in adults, beginning at age 50 years and continuing until age 75 years” to decrease CRC rates (p. 627). In May 2015, CRC screening rates were 70.65% at the Monroe Clinic-Durand Primary Care branch (D. Dubs, personal communication, May 18, 2015). Increasing CRC screening rates in the Monroe Clinic-Primary Care branch office could decrease CRC rates and deaths in the area.
Current literature supports the use of provider-directed interventions, education, and staff involvement to increase CRC screening rates (Atassi, 2012). This DNP project implemented two 45 minute education sessions with staff and providers at the Monroe Clinic-Durand Primary Care branch office, incorporating the Health Belief Model, the Change Model, and Motivational Interviewing. The sessions reviewed CRC and CRC screening and encouraged staff involvement in creating change.
Data was collected for patients seen in the Monroe Clinic-Primary Care branch office during a three month time period, comparing CRC screening rates prior to and following the intervention. The goal was a 2% increase in CRC screening rates. Through implementing a practice change in a rural health care office, a 15.9% increase in CRC screening rates was noted over a three month time period. Interventions utilized in the project are transferable to other quality initiatives in a clinic setting.
Recommended Citation
Johanson, Kirsten S., "Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in a Rural Health Clinic through Practice Change" (2016). Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects. 19.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/stu_doc/19