Evidence-Based Quality Standards
Cancer Care Ontario’s Program in Evidence-Based Care (PEBC) has developed new Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) Laboratory Standards and Colonoscopy Standards and Guidelines to support consistent, high-quality care for Ontarians. The first of their kind in Canada, the standards help ensure consistent high-quality delivery of ColonCancerCheck across the province.
These standards were developed with input from practice leaders and relevant clinical experts. The FOBT standards were published in Clinical Biochemistry in November 2008, and the colonoscopy standards were published in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology in November, 2007.
Surveillance Guidelines
To complement the colonoscopy standards, ColonCancerCheck adopted colonoscopy surveillance guidelines outlined in “Guidelines for Colonoscopy Surveillance After Polypectomy: A Consensus Update by the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer and the American Cancer Society" that were published in Gastroenterology in 2006.
Wait Time Guidelines
The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) published a Canadian consensus on medically acceptable wait times, and set benchmarks that recommend a colonoscopy be completed within two months for those with a positive FOBT and six months for a screening colonoscopy. These benchmarks, “Canadian consensus on medically acceptable wait times for digestive health care," were published in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology in 2006. ColonCancerCheck's program benchmarks (adapted from CAG Benchmarks) are eight weeks for those with a positive FOBT and 26 weeks for those with a family history of colorectal cancer.
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