Mitigating COVID-19’s impact on missed and delayed cancer diagnoses

Wilkinson, Anna N.

doi:10.46747/cfp.6805323

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 12 publications

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“…Earlier access to urgent catch-up screenings by screening and diagnostic institutions could mitigate the forecasted adverse outcomes or even eliminate them [4]. The impact of the pandemic on CRC cancer screening delays in Canada [4,9] and across specific provinces (e.g., Ontario) [8] has been reported in a few articles [4,8,9,17], but further research is needed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on provincial and territorial CRC screening programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canadian Landscape Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Screening during the COVID-19 Pandemic

El Bizri,

Hamidi,

Mksyartinian

et al. 2023

Current Oncology

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The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in colorectal cancer (CRC) care by interrupting CRC screening across Canada, posing problems for program participants, patients, and physicians and no clear understanding of how provincial healthcare systems would adapt in the face of another pandemic or shock to the system. A nationwide online survey targeted to members of the National Colorectal Cancer Screening Network (NCCSN) using the SurveyMonkey platform was conducted to gain insight into the impact of the pandemic on CRC screening from March 2020 to March 2022 across all thirteen Canadian jurisdictions. The survey included 25 multiple-choice and free-text questions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data using Microsoft Excel and NVivo software. Twenty-one provincial and territorial representatives participated in the survey conducted between 13 May 2022 and 27 October 2022. All jurisdictions (100%) reported decreased screenings, including fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) or Fecal Occult Blood testing (FOBT) procedures, and subsequent diagnostic colonoscopies. The average wait time for colonoscopies due to a positive FIT/FOBT was 76 days. To mitigate the backlog and initiate an effective intervention plan, representatives highlighted some key points, including the importance of prioritizing high-risk patients. Survey results concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted CRC screening across Canada. This landscape assessment can help inform intervention measures and policy-related solutions to create greater resilience for CRC screening in provincial and territorial healthcare systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%