Colorectal screening in Canada, 2023-24
Challenges in population outreach and engagement
Jurisdictions are experiencing various challenges in population outreach and engagement. Many jurisdictions noted human resource and capacity constraints as an ongoing challenge, including healthcare provider shortages, staff turnover, small teams, and limited funding capacity, as well as competing needs and priorities of both program staff and the community. Additional challenges include limits in internal software systems and external resources to facilitate accessibility and translation of material. Finally, challenges in accurately identifying equity-denied groups, along with lack of awareness, limited access, and limited participation in screening programs among equity-denied populations and communities presents a challenge in population engagement.
Challenges in population outreach and engagement
Yukon
There have been a number of leadership changes within Health and Services health programs. Planning steps have required waiting for the changes to be completed. The Cancer Screening Program Manager is one of the newly hired managers.
Northwest Territories
In-person meetings and community gatherings would be the best way to engage most communities, but because of the geography it is expensive and time-consuming to travel to them. COVID-19 and forest fires have also made travel to communities more difficult during the roll-out of the CRC screening program.
Alberta
The ability to accurately identify different groups using available data is challenging but AB is working to be more precise.
Conducting health services for those interested in screening is challenging due to healthcare provider shortage.
Saskatchewan
Limited human resource/funding capacity to plan and operationalize outreach and engagement at an impactful level is a challenge. COVID-19 significantly shifted the delivery of outreach and engagement within Saskatchewan.
Availability of program performance data is limited by the capabilities of the current software system. Saskatchewan is in the process of developing a new screening software system that will support more robust data availability, and enable improvements in the identification of screening inequities.
Ontario
Due to the high rates of colorectal cancer among Indigenous men, the challenge is coming up with creative ways to encourage participation in education workshops and sessions that stress the importance of colorectal screening among Indigenous men.
New Brunswick
Access to PCPs for those at not-average risk (ineligible for average-risk program) is challenging.
Human resource constraints in the healthcare system presents another challenge.
Nova Scotia
The limited program staff does not represent the wide range of diverse populations served.
The provincial health authority has limited resources for engagement work.
Prince Edward Island
There is a limited level of awareness of Prince Edward Island cancer screening programs in equity-deserving populations or communities, with an overall lack of understanding and limited engagement with the healthcare system in general.
For those with limited connections to the healthcare system in First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis communities, awareness and understanding is likely quite low. Supporting and maintaining Indigenous organizations’ reliance on health community services will help provide accurate, timely information to community members in the scope of cancer screening.
Language barriers to text-based and printed awareness materials is challenging, but making the materials more relatable would help.
Limited materials (e.g., website) are electronically available to enhance engagement by using translation apps or read-aloud apps.
Limited use of social media platforms and other virtual platforms (e.g., short videos) makes engagement more challenging.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Population outreach is always challenged by competing priorities in communities and the healthcare system. Additionally, programs have limited resources for wide-scale promotion through mainstream and paid promotion.
Outreach and awareness is challenged by those in the population who do not have a PCP, which limits program awareness and participation.