Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that a physician's recommendation is the most powerful factor in a patient's decision to receive preventive and screening services. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month; encourage your patients age 50 and older to get screened.
Resources to Support Decision-Making: Cancer screening decisions, like other medical decisions, require weighing the harms and benefits, especially among chronically-ill patients. These persons may be at risk for adverse screening outcomes or have a life expectancy that is shorter than any survival benefit from cancer screening. In addition, patient preferences and values must be considered in decisions regarding screening and what test is most appropriate. Several articles shed some light on these issues: * Walters LC, Covinsky KE. Cancer screening in elderly patients: a framework for individualized decision-making. JAMA. 2001, Jun 6;285(21):2750-6. * Walters LC, Lewis CL, Barton MB. Screening for colorectal, breast, and cervical cancer in the elderly: a review of the evidence. Am J Med. 2005, Oct;118(10):1078-86. The American Cancer Society has developed materials to help support practitioners in discussing colorectal cancer screening with their patients. These resources include reminder letters, phone reminder scripts, brochures, and wall charts, and are available for download or order<http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/InformationforHealthCareProfessionals/ColonMDClinicansInformationSource/EducateYourPatients/index>. The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable has also published a report that describes the components of a quality screening colonoscopy referral system in primary care practice: * Sifri R, Wender R, Lieberman D, Potter M, Peterson K, Smith R. "Developing a Quality Screening Colonoscopy Referral System in Primary Care Practice: A Report from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.20048/abstract>". CA Cancer J Clin 2010;60;40-49; originally published online Dec 18, 2009. What Can You Do? Discussing colorectal cancer screening and the various options available can be challenging, especially with older, chronically-ill patients. Engage patients in decision-making regarding their options, as it is important for promoting appropriate screening among older adults. Colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable. Encourage your patients to get screened - it could save their lives. More Information for Healthcare Providers: * MLN Guide to Medicare Preventive Services for Healthcare Professionals<http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf> (see Chapter 11) * MLN Preventive Services Educational Products webpage<http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp> * MLN Cancer Screenings brochure<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/Cancer_Screening.pdf> * MLN Quick Reference Information: Medicare Preventive Services<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MPS_QuickReferenceChart_1.pdf> * National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable<http://nccrt.org/> * National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month website<http://preventcancer.org/prevention/preventable-cancers/colorectal-cancer/> ยง The National Cancer Institute website<http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal> ________________________________ CMS.gov Website Upgrade - Please take note that CMS is in the process of making upgrades to the www.CMS.gov<http://www.CMS.gov> website. If you encounter problems accessing information while on the site, please refresh the page or check back later. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience. ________________________________ It's Not too Late to Give and Get the Flu Vaccine. Take advantage of each office visit and protect your patients against the seasonal flu. Medicare will continue to pay for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for all Medicare beneficiaries through the entire flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that patients, healthcare workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccine-Not the Flu. Remember - The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For more information on coverage and billing of the flu vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational provider resources, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp and http://www.cms.gov/immunizations. ________________________________ Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. 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