Colorectal Cancer Screening: Quality and Benchmarks

This volume provides a comprehensive overview of quality metrics and methods used to improve quality for all major modalities of CRC screening. It introduces the readers to the evidence of effectiveness behind various CRC screening modalities: stool-based tests (Fecal Occult Blood, Fecal Immunochemical and Fecal DNA tests), flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and CT colonography. In-depth chapters review the latest guidelines for CRC screening, compare differences among the five major national guidelines, and highlight the need for valid quality and cost indicators. While the main focus of this volume is on colonoscopy, since most quality indicators and analyses have focused on this modality of screening and surveillance, one chapter is devoted to quality indicators of other screening modalities. Differences between process and outcome measures are also highlighted and a small but valid set of recommended national measures are listed.

Written by experts in the field, Colorectal Cancer Screening: Quality and Benchmarks is an important and useful resource written for gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, general and colorectal surgeons, family physicians, and investigators with research focus in screening and quality metrics.

Dr. Shaukat received her medical degree at The Aga Khan University Medical College in Pakistan. She then matriculated to Johns Hopkins School of Public Health where she received an M.P.H. in International Health and Epidemiology. She conducted a gastroenterology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine and complete her residency at Stat University New York School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo, New York. She joined the faculty of the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Minnesota in 2007.

Dr. Allen graduated with honors from Rice University in Houston, Texas, in 1973. At Rice, he held numerous swimming records and received the Bob Quinn Award for Outstanding Scholar Athlete. He attended medical school at the University of New Mexico, graduating in 1977. His internship, residency and specialty training in gastroenterology were completed at the University of Minnesota. After his fellowship ended in 1980, Dr. Allen joined the academic faculty in the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota, where he achieved the honor of becoming an Associate Professor of Medicine. While at the University he published numerous papers about nutrition, alcoholic liver disease and colon cancer. Dr. Allen joined Minnesota Gastroenterology in 1991. There, he continued his clinical research about colon cancer prevention and cancer genetics in conjunction with scientists at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Allen continues to speak nationally and internationally about colon cancer and quality performance in gastroenterology. He has published over 50 articles on various aspects of gastroenterology research and practice and is currently editing a book on quality in colonoscopy.