Table 1 Criteria for identifying patients eligible for the study
Inclusion | Criteria |
|---|---|
Age | 51-74 years at start of study |
Language | English or Spanish |
FOBT done in year before study | FOBT completed in year before study |
“Screening for colon cancer” (or related codes) entered as an encounter diagnosis in year before study | |
FOBT result negative | |
Exclusion | |
Screening by another test | Colonoscopy (CPT code 45.23) within 10 years |
Flexible sigmoidoscopy (CPT code 45.24) within 5 years | |
Conditions that suggest FOBT screening may be inappropriate | Chronic diarrhea (ICD-9 787.91) |
Inflammatory bowel disease: Crohn’s (CPT code 555.xx) or Ulcerative Colitis (CPT code 556.xx) | |
Iron deficiency anemia (CPT code 280.9) | |
Gastrointestinal bleeding (CPT code 578.xx) | |
Colonic polyp (CPT code 211.3) | |
Malignant neoplasm of colon and other specified sites of colon and large intestine (ICD-9-CM codes 153.X, 154.0, 154.1, 197.5, V10.05) | |
Conditions that make colorectal cancer screening inappropriate | Total colectomy (CPT codes 44150–44153, 44155–44156, 44210–44212; ICD-9-CM codes 45.8) |
Medications that may affect the decision to screen or use FOBT | Clopidogrel, warfarin, or dabigatran |