Increasing participation in colorectal cancer screening in Canada

Even though organized colorectal screening programs are in place in almost every jurisdiction in Canada, no province or territory has met the 60 per cent screening target set over a decade ago.

What are the factors behind this gap? How can we bring up the screening numbers, especially in populations with low screening rates?

These are some of the questions unpacked in a series of videos developed by the Partnership in collaboration with partners from across Canada. The key lessons from our partners are highlighted in an article we published today:

The low screening participation rate points to health inequities and barriers to access experienced by specific communities and also an overall lack of awareness in the general population when it comes to colorectal cancer.

However, with support from the Partnership, changes are underway across the country that will help programs expand their reach to populations with low colorectal cancer screening participation rates. With funding from the Partnership, five jurisdictions (Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories) engaged communities to co-develop and implement evidence-based approaches for increasing colorectal cancer screening in their respective communities. The results have been encouraging: some communities in the Northwest Territories, for instance, doubled their screening participation rates.

To share the learnings from the project more broadly, “lessons learned” videos from each of the partners were developed, featuring insights that highlight common themes as well as unique perspectives.

Read the full article to learn about partners’ five key takeaways when connecting with communities and increasing colorectal cancer screening rates across Canada.