Just a few years ago in 2004, Kentucky ranked 44th in the country for rates of colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopies, but a 2008 federal survey showed the state has successfully increased that rating to 64 percent, hoisting the state up to the 23rd spot, according to a report by Courier-Journal.
Healthcare experts and leaders in Kentucky attribute the increased CRC screening rates to its wide range of educational campaigns that were designed to increase awareness about colorectal cancer. Community leaders, for example, set up an inflatable walk-through colon at state fairs and other community events and partnered with colorectal cancer survivors to tell their stories while manning colon cancer booths.
There has also reportedly been a renewed sense of urgency by physicians and healthcare departments in the state. One such physician, Whitney Jones, MD, a gastroenterologist who founded the Colon Cancer Prevention Project in 2004, has also been attributed for the success. Through his work with the organization, Dr. Jones has persistently pushed for more legislation that would encourage individuals to undergo colorectal cancer screenings.
The group succeeded in having two laws enacted. One law would require insurers to cover colorectal cancer screening for Kentucky residents age 50 and older and those residents that would fall under the "at-risk" category by the American Cancer Society. The other legislation creates a colorectal cancer awareness campaign as well as an unfunded program that would allow uninsured Kentucky residents to be screened for colorectal cancer.
Dr. Jones is also working with private employers to see how employees can be encouraged to undergo screening. In one such example, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce created a program offering employees over the age of 50 a $25 bonus per year if they received a colonoscopy over the past 10 years. Other initiatives include a "Dress in Blue Day," designated on March 4, 2011, and Colon Cancer Prevention Project's Walk Away from Colon Cancer & 5K Run fundraiser.
Read the news report about raising awareness about colorectal cancer in Kentucky.
Read other coverage about colorectal cancer:
- Studies Show Mailed and Electronic Reminders Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates
- Study Suggests Hormone Therapy Could Increase Risk of CRC by Up To 40%
- 10 Recent Studies and Breakthroughs Impacting Gastroenterology/Endoscopy
Healthcare experts and leaders in Kentucky attribute the increased CRC screening rates to its wide range of educational campaigns that were designed to increase awareness about colorectal cancer. Community leaders, for example, set up an inflatable walk-through colon at state fairs and other community events and partnered with colorectal cancer survivors to tell their stories while manning colon cancer booths.
There has also reportedly been a renewed sense of urgency by physicians and healthcare departments in the state. One such physician, Whitney Jones, MD, a gastroenterologist who founded the Colon Cancer Prevention Project in 2004, has also been attributed for the success. Through his work with the organization, Dr. Jones has persistently pushed for more legislation that would encourage individuals to undergo colorectal cancer screenings.
The group succeeded in having two laws enacted. One law would require insurers to cover colorectal cancer screening for Kentucky residents age 50 and older and those residents that would fall under the "at-risk" category by the American Cancer Society. The other legislation creates a colorectal cancer awareness campaign as well as an unfunded program that would allow uninsured Kentucky residents to be screened for colorectal cancer.
Dr. Jones is also working with private employers to see how employees can be encouraged to undergo screening. In one such example, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce created a program offering employees over the age of 50 a $25 bonus per year if they received a colonoscopy over the past 10 years. Other initiatives include a "Dress in Blue Day," designated on March 4, 2011, and Colon Cancer Prevention Project's Walk Away from Colon Cancer & 5K Run fundraiser.
Read the news report about raising awareness about colorectal cancer in Kentucky.
Read other coverage about colorectal cancer:
- Studies Show Mailed and Electronic Reminders Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates
- Study Suggests Hormone Therapy Could Increase Risk of CRC by Up To 40%
- 10 Recent Studies and Breakthroughs Impacting Gastroenterology/Endoscopy