Association of Primary and Specialty Care Integration on Physician Communication and Cancer Screening in Safety-Net Clinics

Abstract

What is already known on this topic? Community health centers (CHCs) provide primary care to disadvantaged populations and have lower-than-average cancer screening rates. Stronger integration of CHCs and specialists is recommended to increase cancer screening, but the impact of integration efforts in the real world is unknown. What is added by this report? CHCs that are more strongly integrated with specialists have higher rates of cervical and colorectal cancer screening and better communication with specialists compared with the least integrated CHCs. What are the implications for public health practice? Integration between CHCs and specialists may enhance communication across health care providers and improve cancer screening rates. Efforts are needed to promote integration and identify the mechanisms that lead to long-term, effective partnerships.

Perceptions on Barriers and Facilitators to Colonoscopy Completion After Abnormal Fecal Immunochemical Test Results in a Safety Net System

“… 32 Such a model could improve familiarity and communication between patient care coordinators in primary care and gastroenterology clinics and improve follow-up colonoscopy completion. 33 …”

“…For example, having gastroenterology, rather than primary care, directly follow up on abnormal stool-based screening test results has been associated with decreased colonoscopy wait times . Such a model could improve familiarity and communication between patient care coordinators in primary care and gastroenterology clinics and improve follow-up colonoscopy completion …”