Abstract B11: Effect of patient navigation on colorectal cancer screening in a community-based randomized controlled trial of urban African American Medicare beneficiaries

Background: In recent years, colorectal cancer screening rates have increased steadily in the United States, though racial and ethnic disparities persist. We investigated the effect of a patient navigation intervention on adherence to colorectal cancer screening guidelines among African American older adults in Baltimore, MD. Methods: We examined data collected from the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration (CPTD), a community-based randomized, controlled trial. Our study population consisted of 661 African American men and women aged 65 to 75 years who were Medicare beneficiaries and residents of Baltimore City. Participants were randomized to receive either printed educational materials only (PEM) or the addition of a patient navigator (NAV). The Johns Hopkins trained and certified patient navigator assisted participants with identifying and overcoming potential barriers to cancer screening. Self-reported colorectal cancer screening data were collected at baseline and at one-year follow-up through inperson interviews. Rates of screening between the two groups were examined using multivariable logistic regression modeling. All participants irrespective of their baseline screening status were included in calculating the adjusted odds of completing colorectal cancer screening during the follow-up period. Results: At baseline, 68% of the PEM group and 71% of the NAV group (P = 0.45) reported being up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening, defined as having either a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) within one year or colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy within ten years of randomization. At the one-year follow-up visit, participants in the NAV group were more likely to report having undergone any colorectal cancer screening during the previous year, compared to the PEM group, 54% versus 46%, though this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.12). After adjusting for age, gender, number of co-morbidities, education, participants’ health perception and level of health literacy, individuals in the NAV group were more likely to report being screened by colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.07–2.18) compared to those in the PEM group. Individuals who underwent patient navigation did not have a statistically significant change in the likelihood of reporting a FOBT compared to the PEM group. Conclusions: In a population of urban African American older adults, patient navigation was effective in increasing the likelihood of screening by colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy but not fecal occult blood testing at one-year follow-up. The lack of effect on screening by FOBT likely represents the relatively low rate of provider utilization of this screening modality in the target population. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):B11.