Aims: To determine to what extent the use of colorectal services can be increased through interventions.

Overview: This project is testing the combined and independent effects on colorectal cancer screening of the use of barrier specific telephone counseling for women and men and an individualized continuing medical education intervention for their physicians, exploring and addressing the interaction between public and physician barriers.   The in-office physician intervention is designed to improve the use of office systems and to develop skills in fecal occult blood (FOBT testing), risk communication and behavioral counseling.  It includes random population sample surveys of men and women 50-80 years of age, and primary care physicians practicing in the study towns on Long Island.  This project is a sequel to a prior NCI grant targeted at improving breast cancer screening, which employed similar interventions successfully.

Back to home page, Department of Preventive Medicine