Health professionals, who attended the Foundation’s 2012 Dialogue for Action conference in March, have been busy working to make an impact in cancer screening in their communities. The 2012 Dialogue brought together over 200 health care professionals and advocates from 34 states, the District of Columbia and eight tribal nations and urban Indian health organizations.
We recently asked the 2012 participants about their post-conference activities. The great majority of respondents (84%) reported that they shared information from the 2012 conference with colleagues or family members. Here are some examples of other effective action steps they have taken:
- “We have stepped up our patient navigation program, hiring 2 new navigators and improving our system to identify all first-degree relatives of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and offering them screening examinations,” reported a nonprofit participant from Alaska.
- “We implemented an IT system to help us identify the patients in need of CRC screening and provide interventions,” responded a participant from a nonprofit group in Boston.
- Other organizations implemented quality measures and strategies to decrease no-show rates. These organizations ranged from departments of health and community health groups to hospitals and cancer centers, serving both rural and urban populations.
The annual Dialogue conference is designed to engage a variety of professionals and provide concrete tools and effective strategies for use in both clinical and public health settings. Since 1999, the screening focus of the Dialogue has been on colorectal cancer. New this year, the 2013 Dialogue will expand to include issues related to breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, as well as content on skin, prostate and lung cancers.
The annual Dialogue conference offers continuing education credit for physicians, nursing professionals and certified health education specialists.
Register today for the 2013 conference!
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