Protect Your Assets: Employers as Promotion Partners for Colorectal Cancer Screening

Background:

The Healthy People 2020 objectives for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is 70.5%. Rates in Florida are on-par with the national average (65.8%); which remains below the HP2020 objectives, and way below the National CRC Round Table goal of 80% in every community. Individuals with health insurance between the ages of 50-64 are not being screened at recommended levels.¹ We identified employer worksites as an efficient channel for reaching age-eligible, insured individuals who had not yet screened for CRC.

Program background:

The Florida Prevention Research Center (FPRC) partnered with the Florida Health Care Coalition (FLHCC), a non-profit organization reaching employers throughout the state with best practices for employee wellness. We met with HR directors and employee wellness coordinators to help them select from a menu of evidence-based interventions (EBI) to promote CRC. Based on the literature, we offered communication materials, webinars, tabling at wellness events, an inflatable walk-through colon, and a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) take home kit demonstration that we showed with a toddler sized potty. Based on employer site selections, FPRC staff helped with events to promote CRC screening.

Evaluation Methods and Results:

The process was evaluated based on interviews with wellness coordinators prior to implementing the features they selected and after the pilot phase of the intervention had been completed. Prior to implementing the pilot phase of the CRC screening program, most employers indicating doing nothing about CRC screening promotion. Follow up interviews with wellness coordinators showed a commitment to CRC including updating wellness policies to include FIT testing as part of a rewards program, adding FIT as a test fully covered by their insurance, and an overall desire to sustain the efforts of CRC screening promotion.

Conclusions:

Utilizing existing wellness programs to promote preventive screenings is a cost-effective and efficient way to keep individuals up-to-date with cancer screening. Employers were also drawn to strong visuals including the potty and FIT demonstration and utilizing the inflatable walk-through colon as sparked interest and brought the employees over to the table to find out more. Further work with employers includes creating implementation tool kits for employers to continue implementation after the pilot phase and a website to continually provide new and updated resources and an implementation guide to the employers.

Implications for research and/or practice:

Employers are an active and engaged partner in public health practice. Wellness programs are a primer for further prevention efforts in the workplace. These future interventions could utilize these partnerships to promote preventive health activities ranging from cancer screening to obesity prevention to diabetes management.

Source:

1. Aguado Loi CX, Adegoke KK, Gwede CK, Sappenfield WM, Bryant CA. Florida Populations Most at Risk of Not Being Up to Date With Colorectal Cancer Screening. Prev Chronic Dis 2018;15:170224. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd15.170224.