Jan
19
2018
Did you know that 92% of people say they would be more likely to participate in bowel screening if recommended by their doctor?
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program saves lives – but it can only work with the support of general practices. Check out this fact sheet to learn how general practices can support the program.
GPs play a key role in promoting bowel cancer screening. There is strong evidence that a letter signed by a person’s GP endorsing a faecal occult blood test is an effective method to increase participation in bowel cancer screening. This GP letter template may be useful.
A new ‘how to do the test’ video is now available here.
This video has been translated in seven languages – Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Arabic, Vietnamese, Korean, Greek and Italian. These have not yet appeared on the website but should be there by end of month.
A new immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) kit, and associated pathology services, was introduced into the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (the Program) from 2 January 2018.
The Program is a population-based screening program that aims to help detect bowel cancer early and reduce the number of deaths from the disease. Eligible people are invited by mail to complete a test kit at home and send it to the program’s pathology laboratory for analysis. There is no cost involved. The test involves taking a tiny sample of faeces which is tested in a pathology laboratory. The test can detect tiny amounts of blood in faeces which may be a sign of cancer or polyps.
Of note is the change of pathology provider from Dorevitch to Sonic. The new kit (an Eiken kit – OC Auto-sampling Bottle 3 – using the Pledia analyser) and associated pathology service was selected by the Department of Health through an open market tender process. The new kit is included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and is already used widely in Australia and overseas. The new pathology provider is Sonic Healthcare Limited (Sonic).
The old test kit is no longer available to the program from January 2018.
For any kits issued by Dorevitch Pathology in 2017, where these are returned in 2018, they will still be tested by Dorevitch Pathology as the service provider will still be in place to test returned kits that were issued in 2017.
Demonstration should now be available. Please email [email protected] if you would like to place an order.
Test Kit Helpline: 1800 930 998
Program Info Line: 1800 118 868
Visit the HealthPathway for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
For a list of all localised pathways see:
Mid and North Coast Localised Pathways
Username:Â manchealth
Password:Â conn3ct3d
Last Chance to Have Your Say on the National Expansion of My Health Record
HealthPathways Update – January 2018