Development of a Field Guide for Assessing Readiness to Implement Evidence-Based Cancer Screening Interventions in Primary Care Clinics

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sarah D. Hohl, University of Washington; Stephanie Melillo, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Thuy T. Vu, University of Washington; Ngoc-Cam Escoffery, Emory University; Amy DeGroff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dara Schlueter, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Leslie W. Ross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Annette E. Maxwell, University of California Los Angeles; Krishna P. Sharma, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Jennifer Boehm, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Djenaba Joseph, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Peggy A. Hannon, University of Washington
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-05-01
• Publisher: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: This publication is in the public domain and is therefore without copyright. All text from this work may be reprinted freely. Use of these materials should be properly cited.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd19.210395
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Preventing Chronic Disease
• Volume: 19
• Start Page: E25
• End Page: E25
• Grant/Funding Information: Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC, the US Department of Health and Human Services, or the US government.; Sarah Hohl was supported by the National Cancer Institute’s Biobehavioral Cancer Control and Prevention Training Grant, T32 CA092408. No copyrighted materials were used in this research.; This work was supported by cooperative agreement numbers U48DP006398 and U48DP006377 from CDC and funding from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.
• Keywords: Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Science & Technology; Colonoscopy; Colorectal cancer; Organizational readiness
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Health Care Management; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Oncology

Abstract

Evidence-based interventions, including provider assessment and feedback, provider reminders, patient reminders, and reduction of structural barriers, improve colorectal cancer screening rates. Assessing primary care clinics’ readiness to implement these interventions can help clinics use strengths, identify barriers, and plan for success. However, clinics may lack tools to assess readiness and use findings to plan for successful implementation. To address this need, we developed the Field Guide for Assessing Readiness to Implement Evidence-Based Cancer Screening Interventions (Field Guide) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP). We conducted a literature review of evidence and existing tools to measure implementation readiness, reviewed readiness tools from selected CRCCP award recipients (n = 35), and conducted semistructured interviews with key informants (n = 8). We sought feedback from CDC staff and recipients to inform the final document. The Field Guide, which is publicly available online, outlines 4 assessment phases: 1) convene team members and determine assessment activities, 2) design and administer the readiness assessment, 3) evaluate assessment data, and 4) develop an implementation plan. Assessment activities and tools are included to facilitate completion of each phase. The Field Guide integrates implementation science and practical experience into a relevant tool to bolster clinic capacity for implementation, increase potential for intervention sustainability, and improve colorectal cancer screening rates, with a focus on patients served in safety net clinic settings. Although this tool was developed for use in primary care clinics for cancer screening, the Field Guide may have broader application for clinics and their partners for other chronic diseases.