Clinic Support Staff Post-intervention Survey

Form Approved

OMB Control No: 0920-0769

Expiration Date: 03/31/2011

Clinical Support Staff

Colorectal Cancer Screening Survey

Funded by

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Atlanta, GA

Battelle logo MCO logo

Public reporting burden of this collection of information varies from 15 to 30 minutes with an estimated average of 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer; 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-0769)

MCO Research Arm Name and Battelle Centers for Public Health Research are inviting you to participate in this study of colorectal cancer screening at (MCO name). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with Battelle and MCO Research Arm Name, to study ways to improve colorectal cancer screening in primary care.

Clinical support staff are involved in many different ways in patient care and preventive service provision, including colorectal cancer screening with patients over age 50. We are interested in your training, clinical responsibilities, and opinions about screening for colorectal cancer. We are also interested in the institutional systems you use to facilitate routine screening.

All clinical support staff in your clinic as well as in several other clinics at (MCO name) are being asked to complete this survey. You are being paid $25 to compensate you for your time and effort. The survey was designed with input from Medical Assistants and Clinical Service Representatives like you who reviewed this questionnaire. They estimated that it took approximately 20 minutes to complete.

• Your answers are strictly private.

• Please do not put your name on the survey.

• Answers from other staff like you will be combined into one final summary.

• Some questions are personal, but those questions provide important information for this study.

• It is your choices to skip any questions that you do not want to answer

• Management at (MCO name) will not see your answers.

We thank you very much for taking your time to fill in this survey for us. When you are done, please mail it back to us in the enclosed envelope.

Thank you!

Part I: Tell us about you!

This first section asks a few questions about your personal background, your training, and your clinic.

1. What is your age? _________________

2. What is your gender?

 Male  Female

3. What is your title or position? ___________________________________ (Please specify)

4. On average, how many hours per week total do you work at your clinic?

Average number of hours ______________

5. How many physicians, physicians’ assistants or nurse practitioners do you provide support to? _______ Physicians _______ Nurse Practitioners _______ Physicians’ Assistants

6. How long have you worked at HMO name? ____________ Years ___________ Months

7. How long have you worked at this clinic? ____________ Years ____________ Months

Routine non-acute care visit Responsibilities

1. Which of the following activities are you responsible for when a patient, aged 50 or older, comes in for a non –acute care visit?

Activity	Never	Sometimes	Half the Time	Usually	Always
a. Schedule routine non-acute care appointments					
b. Schedule lab visits if blood work is required					
c. Schedule follow-up or referral appointments					
d. Pull patient charts and review them					
e. Let physician know for what screening tests patients are due					
f. Flag charts with required screening tests or discussion topics to be covered					
g. Have patient fill out an intake health questionnaire					
h. Discuss initial questions or concerns					
i. Take vital signs (height, weight, blood pressure)					
j. Answer patient questions after the physician’s exam					
k. Distribute tests or materials to patients after the exam					
l. Track lab results					
m. Track whether patients did follow-up tests or treatment					
n. Other? (specify) ________________________					

Part II: Preventive Services Opinions

1. How worthwhile do you consider each of the following preventive services for asymptomatic patients, age 50 and over, during routine non-acute care visit? (Check one box for each test)

Test and interval	Not at all worthwhile	Slightly worthwhile	Somewhat worthwhile	Quite worthwhile	Very worthwhile
a. Pap smear					
b. Mammogram					
c. Digital rectal exam with hemoccult					
d. Fecal occult blood test (FOBT, hemoccult, or stool cards)					
e. Flexible sigmoidoscopy					
f. Colonoscopy					
g. Cholesterol test					
h. Prostate specific antigen					
i. Digital rectal exam to check prostate					

2. How often do you ask about the following issues with patients age 50 and over when they come in for a routine non-acute care visit? (Check one box for each test). If the doctor always talks to patients about that issue, check N/A.

Issues Discussed	Never	Sometimes	Half the Time	Usually	Always	N/A
a. Smoking						
b. Alcohol use						
c. Exercise or physical activity						
d. Dietary practices						
e. Stress						
f. Depression						
g. Breast cancer screening						
h. Prostate cancer screening (for men)						
i. Cervical cancer screening (for women)						
j. Colorectal cancer screening						
i. Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)						
ii. Flexible sigmoidoscopy						
iii. Colonoscopy						

3. How often do patients (age 50 and over) bring up the following issues during a routine non-acute care visit? (Check one box for each issue)

Issues brought up	Never	Sometimes	Half the Time	Usually	Always
a. Cholesterol or heart disease risk and screening					
b. High blood pressure risk and screening					
c. Diabetes risk and screening					
d. Breast cancer risk and screening (for women)					
e. Cervical cancer risk and screening (for women)					
f. Prostate cancer screening (for men)					
g. Colorectal cancer screening					

The remainder of this survey is about colorectal cancer screening. We are interested in your opinions and practices about screening patients age 50 and over who are asymptomatic and are coming to your clinic for a routine non-acute care visit.

When we say FOBT we mean the fecal occult blood test home kit (hemmoccult, stool, or guiac cards) that patients take home and complete.

Part III: Colorectal Cancer Screening: Your Training and Experience

The questions in this section ask about your personal training and experiences related to colorectal cancer screening.

1. In the past year did you attend any training offered at your clinic on how to improve the rate of colon cancer screening?

• Yes, I attended the first meeting

• Yes, I attended the second meeting

• Yes, I attended both meetings

• No, I didn’t attend any meetings at my clinic on this topic

2. In the past year, have you received specific training on any of the following topics?

	Yes	No
a. Current colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines		
b. Colorectal cancer screening rates at ABQ/Health Partners		
c. Colorectal cancer screening rates at my clinic		
d. How to discuss colorectal cancer screening options with your patients		
e. The difference between motivation and persuasion when discussing colorectal cancer screening with your patients		
f. How to modify clinic processes to increase the rate and efficiency of colorectal cancer screening		

3. Continuing Medical Education Regarding CRC Screening:
I did not attend any CME/CE about colorectal cancer screening in the past year if checked () please skip to next section	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. The CME/CE prepared me to use motivational interviewing techniques to encourage patients to get CRC screening					
b. The CME/CE prepared me to use open-ended questions with patients to hear their CRC screening issues					
c. The CME/CE prepared me to use reflective listening with patients to hear their CRC screening issues					
d. I think clinicians in the clinic are using the techniques we learned to motivate patients to get their CRC screening					
e. I think other clinic support staff are using the techniques we learned to motivate patients to get their CRC screening					

4. Among the last 10 patients aged 50 and older who came to your office for a routine non-acute care visit, for approximately how many did you:

Please write “0” if you did not give the test to any of the 10 patients.

Distribute Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) kits _______

Go over FOBT instructions with patients _______

Assist with scheduling a Flexible sigmoidoscopy _______

Assist with scheduling a Colonoscopy _______

5. At your clinic, who is responsible for:

	Doctor	Nurse	Medical Assistant	Patient
a. Handing out the FOBT cards?			
b. Providing patient instructions for the FOBT cards?			
c. Tracking the return of the lab results from the FOBT cards?			
d. Reporting negative lab results from the FOBT cards to the patient?			
e. Reporting positive lab results from the FOBT cards to the patient?			
f. Making screening Colonoscopy appointments?				
g. Providing patient instructions for the Colonoscopy?			
h. Tracking the screening Colonoscopy appointments?				
i. Tracking the results from the screening Colonoscopy appointments?			
j. Discussing results of the screening Colonoscopy with the patient?			

Part IV. Colorectal Cancer Screening Information and Resources

For each statement below, please check () the box that best represents your opinion.

1. Information and Resources:
	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. I have the latest information about colorectal cancer screening.					
b. I have the latest information about colorectal cancer screening guidelines.					
c. I have the skills I need to address colorectal cancer screening with patients.					
d. I feel prepared to answer patient questions about colorectal cancer screening.					
e. I feel prepared to discuss CRC screening with patients					
f. I have had trouble keeping up with flagging charts for physicians.					
g. My clinic has seen an increased volume of phone calls about colorectal cancer screening.					
h. Colorectal cancer screening distracts me from my other duties.					
i. I feel confident that I can increase patients’ motivation to screen for colorectal cancer					
j. Patients feel comfortable asking me questions about CRC screening					
k. I can understand and address patients’ barriers to colorectal cancer screening					

2. CRC Screening Materials:
The materials that we currently use in our practice:	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. are helpful tools for our clinic.					
b. are easy for patients to understand.					
c. have been well received by patients.					
d. helped me gain new skills for talking about colorectal cancer screening with patients.					
e. helped me feel more able to answer patient questions about colorectal cancer screening.					

Part V: Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices

Answer the questions in this section thinking about patients age 50 years and over who are asymptomatic, and are coming to your clinic for a routine non-acute care visit

For each statement below, please check how often you take each of the following actions when patients come to the clinic for routine non-acute care visits.

	Never	Sometimes	Half the time	Usually	Always
a. Remind the physician which screening tests the patient is due for.					
b. Print out a computer summary for each patient and including it in the chart before the visit.					
c. Distribute a questionnaire or intake form that includes questions about colorectal cancer screening and risk.					
d. Use motivational interviewing techniques with patients about colon cancer screening					
e. Ask patients open-ended questions about their perceptions of colon cancer and screening					
f. Reflect back to each patient his/her own reasons for being screened					
g. Distribute FOBT kits to patients over age 50.					
h. Distribute FOBT kits when the physician asks you to.					
i. Help patients schedule appointments for screening colonoscopy.					
j. Explain to patients how to complete the FOBT kit.					
k. Explain the preparation for Colonoscopy and what they can expect during the test.					
l. Answering patients’ questions about the FOBT kit.					
m. Answer patients’ questions about Colonoscopy.					

Part VI: Opinions about CRC Screening

For each statement below, please check () the box that best represents your opinion.

1. Discussing colorectal cancer screening with patients aged 50 and older:	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. takes too much of my time and effort					
b. is a higher priority with male patients					
c. is a low priority in the average routine non-acute care visit					
d. reassures patients					
e. gives me an opportunity to provide reliable information and educate patients					
f. is a topic that patients do not want to talk about					
g. causes patients to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed					
h. is something that I feel prepared to discuss					
i. is something that the doctor should cover with the patients					
j. distracts from other patient needs					

2. Distributing screening fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) to asymptomatic patients aged 50 and older:	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. is a practice standard					
b. is easy to do					
c. is a low risk test for patients					
d. is difficult due to cultural or language barriers					
e. is an opportunity for education about CRC screening					
f. is a method to increase patient’s role in own health care					
g. is cost effective					
h. is difficult due to time constraints					
i. is something I feel prepared to do					
j. is something the doctor should do					

k. is convenient for patients					
l. is effective in finding CRC at an early stage					
m. is a worry the patients because of false positive results					
n. is effective in decreasing mortality					
o. results in patients doing it wrong					
p. results in patients not returning cards					
q. is distasteful for patients					
r. is difficult for patients					
s. produces inaccurate results					

3. Encouraging asymptomatic patients aged 50 and older complete screening colonoscopy:	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. is appropriate only for high-risk patients					
b. is appropriate only as follow-up to other tests					
c. is easy to do					
d. would find colorectal cancer at an early stage					
e. reassures patients					
f. is preferred by most patients					
g. is the best test we can provide					
h. allows a view of the entire colon					
i. is effective in decreasing mortality					
j. takes too much time for patients					
k. is unpleasant for patients to prepare for					
l. is inconvenient for patients					
m. exposes patients to significant risk of complications					
n. is expensive for the patient					
o. is cost-effective					
p. takes too much of my time and effort to talk about					
q. is something that patients would refuse to do					
r. is something that I feel prepared to discuss					
s. results in a long wait time for an appointment					

Part VII. Facilitators and Barriers to CRC Screening

1. Do you use any of the following methods to remind the doctor or patients when the patient is due to be screened for colorectal cancer? (Check the appropriate response for each item)

	Yes	No
a. Flow charts, “tickler files,” or prompts to remind me or my staff if patients are due for a CRC screening		
b. Computerized printouts of patients’ status on screening tests		
c. Reminder phone calls to patients		
d. Reminder cards by mail to patients		
e. Materials (e.g., handouts) or programs to educate patients		
f. Other (Please specify) _______________________		

2. On average, how long do you think it for an asypmtomatic, average risk patient, aged 50 years or older, in your health care system to get a Colonoscopy appointment? ____________________________days

3. How adequate do you find each of the following at your facility to support CRC screening? Using the scales below, please mark your opinion.

	Not available	Not at all adequate				Very adequate
a. A summary record of the patient’s screening tests (e.g., stable events summary)						
b. A computer-generated prompt or flag to remind you when a patient is due for a screening test						
c. A medical assistant generated prompt or flag to remind you when a patient is due for a screening test						
d. Tracking system to follow-up patients after referral to a colonoscopy appointment						
e A patient reminder or recall system						
f. Materials (e.g., handouts) to educate patients about CRC screening						
g. Materials about CRC screening in languages other than English						
h. Staff trained to do patient education about FOBT (hemoccult) cards					
i. Availability of FOBT kits (Hemoccult cards)					
j. Staff/system to remind patients to return FOBT cards						
k. A convenient ordering, appointment, or referral system for colonoscopy						
l. Staff to make patient appointments for colonoscopy						
m. Reminder system for patient appointments for colonoscopy						
n. Staff trained to do patient education about colonoscopy preparation						
o. Facilities to perform colonoscopy in your health system						
p. Availability of timely appointments for colonoscopy						

Part VIII. Support for CRC Screening

1. Conducting colorectal cancer screening with asymptomatic patients over 50 years of age who come to the clinic for a general routine non-acute care visit is something that:
	Strongly Encourage	Encourage	Neither Encourage nor Discourage	Discourage	Strongly Discourage
a. Patients generally					
b. The doctor I work with generally					
c. Doctors in my clinic generally					
d. Governmental health organizations (e.g., CDC, NIH, Public Health Departments)					
f. US Preventive Services Task Force and other independent working groups					

Please let us know if you have any additional comments:

Thank you very much for completing your survey

Please place it in the enclosed, stamped, envelope and drop it in the mail for us!

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