Influences and Practices in Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Health Care Providers Serving Northern Plains American Indians, 2011-2012.

INTRODUCTION: The epidemiology of colorectal cancer, including incidence, mortality, age of onset, stage of diagnosis, and screening, varies regionally among American Indians. The objective of the Improving Northern Plains American Indian Colorectal Cancer Screening study was to improve understanding of colorectal cancer screening among health care providers serving Northern Plains American Indians. METHODS: Data were collected, in person, from a sample of 145 health care providers at 27 health clinics across the Northern Plains from May 2011 through September 2012. Participants completed a 32-question, self-administered assessment designed to assess provider practices, screening perceptions, and knowledge. RESULTS: The proportion of providers who ordered or performed at least 1 colorectal cancer screening test for an asymptomatic, average-risk patient in the previous month was 95.9% (139 of 145). Of these 139 providers, 97.1% ordered colonoscopies, 12.9% ordered flexible sigmoidoscopies, 73.4% ordered 3-card, guaiac-based, fecal occult blood tests, and 21.6% ordered fecal immunochemical tests. Nearly two-thirds (64.7%) reported performing in-office guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests using digital rectal examination specimens. Providers who reported receiving a formal update on colorectal cancer screening during the previous 24 months were more likely to screen using digital rectal exam specimens than providers who had received a formal update on colorectal cancer screening more than 24 months prior (73.9% vs 56.9%, respectively, χ2 = 4.29, P = .04). CONCLUSION: Despite recommendations cautioning against the use of digital rectal examination specimens for colorectal cancer screening, the practice is common among providers serving Northern Plains American Indian populations. Accurate up-to-date, ongoing education for patients, the community, and health care providers is needed.

Reviewing performance of birth certificate and hospital discharge data to identify births complicated by maternal diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Public health surveillance of diabetes during pregnancy is needed. Birth certificate and hospital discharge data are population-based, routinely available and economical to obtain and analyze, but their quality has been criticized. It is important to understand the usefulness and limitations of these data sources for surveillance of diabetes during pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review to summarize the validity of birth certificate and hospital discharge data for identifying diabetes-complicated births. RESULTS: Sensitivities for birth certificate data identifying prepregnancy diabetes mellitus (PDM) ranged from 47% to 52%, median 50% (kappas: min = 0.210, med = 0.497, max = 0.523). Sensitivities for birth certificate data identifying gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) ranged from 46% to 83%, median 65% (kappas: min = 0.545, med = 0.667, max = 0.828). Sensitivities for the two studies using hospital discharge data for identifying PDM were 78% and 95% (kappas: 0.839 and 0.964), and for GDM were 71% and 81% (kappas: 0.584 and 0.840). Specificities were consistently above 98% for both data sources. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, hospital discharge data performed better than birth certificates, marginally so for identifying GDM but substantially so for identifying PDM. Reports based on either source alone should focus on trends and disparities and include the caveat that results under represent the problem. Linking the two data sources may improve identification of both GDM and PDM cases.