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ColonCancerCheck

Your Role in Ontario's Colorectal Cancer Screening Program

Primary Care Physicians	Nurse Practitioners	Registered Nurses
Pharmacists	Specialists	Community Laboratories

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Primary Care Physicians

As a Primary Care Physician you are the first point of access for offering screening to average risk individuals 50 years and older, and for identifying patients at increased risk. Your role in the ColonCancerCheck program includes :

• Risk assessment : Determining which screening method is right for each patient. FOBT screening is the first choice for average risk individuals 50 years and older. Individuals who are at increased risk (i.e. with a parent, sibling, or child with colorectal cancer) or exhibit symptoms, should be referred for a colonoscopy.
• Testing : Dispensing the program branded FOBT kits and teaching patients how to collect the samples.
• Ongoing care : Integrating colorectal cancer screening into ongoing patient care. Research shows a personalized message from a primary care physician to a patient is the most effective recruitment method to organized screening.
• Talk about it : Discussing colorectal cancer screening with your patients at their next appointment or periodic health examination.
• Laboratory requisition : To view or print a copy
• Physicians Incentives :To learn more about the new and enhanced physician incentives effective April 1, 2008, consult the ColonCancerCheck Physician Incentives OHIP Bulletin [PDF] distributed to all primary care physicians in July 2008. The fact sheet can also be found on the OntarioMD website.
• Unattached Patients: find out more [PDF] or Unattached Patient Physician Survey [PDF]
• How to Obtain FOBT Kits  

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Nurse Practitioners

As a Nurse Practitioner in a primary care setting you can play an active role in the ColonCancerCheck program by :

• Patient support : Supporting the increase of screening through the program by offering advice and counsel to patients.
• Testing : Dispensing the program branded FOBT kits and teaching patients how to collect samples.
• Talk about it: Providing important health education and conducting health promotion assessments to determine patients' state of health.
• Laboratory requisition : To view or print a copy
• How to Obtain FOBT Kits

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Registered Nurses

As a Registered Nurse your role in the ColonCancerCheck program includes :

• Patient support : Supporting the increase of screening through the program by offering advice and counsel to patients.
• Talk about it : Providing information about the importance of screening for colorectal cancer.
• Distribution : Informing patients about where kits can be obtained and how to use them. If you work in a team-based environment you may provide support to physicians in ensuring the kits are dispensed.

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Pharmacists

Pharmacists have an important role in helping more Ontarians who do not have a family physician to access screening for colorectal cancer :

• Testing : Dispensing the program branded FOBT kits to eligible unattached participants.
• Talk about it : Providing information about the importance of screening for colorectal cancer.
• Patient support : Supporting the increase of screening through the program. ColonCancerCheck provide you with information on where to refer individuals not eligible for FOBT kits at pharmacy.
• Find out more : Frequently Asked Questions for Pharmacists
• Laboratory requisition : To view or print a copy
• How to Obtain FOBT Kits

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Specialists

Specialists, including gastroenterologists, general surgeons and pathologists, are responsible for :

• Testing : Delivering colonoscopies to those at increased risk and those with a positive FOBT.
• Support : Supporting the implementation of a streamlined referral process at your hospitals and Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) and ensuring that clinical guidelines and quality standards for colonoscopies and other tests are met consistently.
• Reporting : If you are performing colonoscopies in support of the program you will also be responsible for collecting and reporting data.
• How to Obtain FOBT Kits

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Community Laboratories

Ontario’s community laboratories play an important role in supporting increased screening rates under the ColonCancerCheck program by :

• Distribution : Supplying the ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) kits to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacies.
• Testing : Performing standardized FOB testing using a comprehensive quality assurance program, designed specifically for this program.
• Information Management : Reporting test results to primary care physicians and nurse practitioners and providing test results and program information to Colorectal Cancer Screening Registry.

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