Inclusion of CTC as HEDIS screening modality could increase colorectal cancer screening compliance
2013-01-11
(Press-News.org) Availability of CT colonography (CTC), commonly known as virtual colonoscopy, is increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates across military medical facilities. Inclusion of CTC as a Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set® (HEDIS®)-compliant colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test can potentially raise overall screening rates, according to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance developed HEDIS to provide quality measures for the evaluation of standards of medical care across health plans. Although CTC is included in the most recent screening guidelines jointly released by the American Cancer Society, the ACR, and the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer in 2008, it has not been included as a qualifying test for the numerator of the HEDIS CRC screening metric. Current HEDIS measures for CRC screening include fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy.
"The aim of our analysis was to quantify the use of CTC for CRC screening and demonstrate the potential impact of including CTC as a HEDIS-acceptable screening modality," said Brooks D. Cash, MD, author of the study.
Demographic and health care utilization data from the Military Health System Population Health Portal for January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2010, for individuals aged 50 to 75, were analyzed to determine the degree of overall utilization of CTC. Screening compliance for CRC per HEDIS was also estimated, and the incremental impact of adding HEDIS-eligible patients who had undergone CTC as their only CRC screening test was then evaluated for two similarly sized, regional Navy medical centers.
Across all sites (10 Army, 4 Navy, 3 Air Force), 17,187 CTC studies were performed, with increasing utilization during the 6-year study period. At the two Navy medical centers, screening compliance ranged from 33.8 percent to 67.9 percent without CTC and 33.8 percent to 84 percent with CTC.
"Our analysis demonstrates that CTC is being implemented with increasing frequency across military treatment facilities and that the inclusion of CTC in the currently defined NCQA numerator for CRC screening tests could improve HEDIS compliance metrics in the presence of an integrated CTC screening program," said Cash.
"Given the low rates of current HEDIS measures for CRC, it is important to expand this metric to include high-quality tests such as CTC that have the potential to significantly increase compliance with CRC screening guidelines and can be expected, over time, to contribute to further lowering of CRC-associated morbidity and mortality," said Cash.
INFORMATION:
For additional information, or to schedule an interview with a JACR spokesperson, please contact Heather Curry at 703-390-9822 or PR@acr.org.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2013-01-11
Boston, MA – Current standards for classifying foods as "whole grain" are inconsistent and, in some cases, misleading, according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. One of the most widely used industry standards, the Whole Grain Stamp, actually identified grain products that were higher in both sugars and calories than products without the Stamp. The researchers urge adoption of a consistent, evidence-based standard for labeling whole grain foods to help consumers and organizations make healthy choices. This is the first study to empirically ...
2013-01-11
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- An MIT researcher has developed a technique that provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors.
The approach relies on engineered materials consisting of nanostructured semiconductor alloy crystals. Heat is a vibration of matter — technically, a vibration of the atomic lattice of a material — just as sound is. Such vibrations can also be thought of as a stream of phonons — a kind of "virtual particle" that is analogous to the photons that carry light. The new approach ...
2013-01-11
Alabama Divorce Can Impact Property and Insurance Coverage
When a couple divorces, trying to disentangle their lives from one another can seem an almost insurmountable task. Many aspects of people's financial situations change after divorce, and they have to learn how to survive financially as single people, which can raise issues they may have not had to consider before. In many cases, spouses cannot agree on how to split up all of the things they have collected over the course of the marriage. When they cannot divide things in a manner suitable to both parties, the ...
2013-01-11
Distracted driving: a growing concern in Nebraska
Distracted driving is proving to be a major cause for concern on Nebraska roads. When drivers are not watching the roads, they are not able to react to sudden changes. A car may stop, a child may run to get a ball, or a deer could jump in front of the car without a distracted driver even noticing. Because distracted driving is a serious problem, officials in Nebraska are working on ways to better enforce laws and keep the roads safe.
Major causes of accidents
One source of distracted driving is the advancement of ...
2013-01-11
IRS Revamps Eligibility Requirements for Offers in Compromise
In 2011, the IRS began a "Fresh Start" initiative, offering a series of programs designed to help individual taxpayers and small businesses resolve tax debts with the IRS and avoid tax liens on their assets. As part of the Fresh Start initiative, the IRS announced in May 2012 that it was changing the eligibility requirements for the Offers in Compromise program. Taxpayers should understand what the Offer in Compromise program is and how the IRS has changed the requirements of the program.
What ...
2013-01-11
Prescription drug crimes on rise in North Carolina
Federal and state government officials have been concerned with the growing number of prescription drug crimes that are happening nationwide. The increase in the use of pain medication has left many users addicted to these controlled substances, and they are engaging in sometimes violent acts in order to have access to these pills.
New bills recently passed by Congress, such as the SAFE DOSES Act, have greatly increased the potential penalties that those convicted of federal drug crimes may be facing. These penalties ...
2013-01-11
Strategic default an option for struggling homeowners
The housing market in Las Vegas is slowly beginning to rebound. Each month it seems more and more people are deciding to become homeowners. When the recession hit, many homes lost a significant amount of their value. This allowed buyers to have many more affordable options when they were shopping for the right home.
However, homeowners that decided to buy before the recession now find themselves in a very difficult situation. Henderson and Las Vegas had huge housing booms in the early 2000s, and many people moved ...
2013-01-11
Shortage of water leading to disputes over use and access in Nevada
Nevada's climate enables residents to enjoy outdoor activities all year long. Temperatures often exceed triple digits in the summer, but winters remain relatively mild. However, being in the middle of a desert, the Las Vegas metro area does not get a lot of rain. This means that any water sources will be heavily relied upon to provide for the entire region, making water rights that much more important.
Most of Nevada's water comes from the Colorado River. Nevada is one of seven states that depend ...
2013-01-11
A closer look at DACA: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
This June, President Obama issued an executive order that defers the federal government's efforts to remove certain young people who came to the United States illegally as children. Currently, 1.26 million are eligible for deferment, and another half-million may become eligible in the future.
What is DACA?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is considered by some to be the light version of the DREAM Act, which failed to pass in Congress. DACA targets young people who were brought to the ...
2013-01-11
Financial Institutions Targeted in DOJ Money Laundering Crackdown
The primary purpose of most criminal enterprises is to generate income. However, the monetary gains come with their own problems -- illicit profits cannot just be deposited in the bank. Instead, the income has to be "cleaned up" and made to look like it came from a legitimate source.
This practice, commonly known as money laundering, has long been a favorite target of federal law enforcement officials. Traditionally, prosecutors have brought money laundering charges against those suspected ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Inclusion of CTC as HEDIS screening modality could increase colorectal cancer screening compliance
