Get2it Campaign – conversation starters to get patients to participate in bowel screenings
Cancer Council Australia, with the Australian Government, have launched a national campaign, encouraging Australians to Get2it and take part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
GPs are vital in identifying patients who have never bowel screened or are not up to date with their screening - and your endorsement of the program can encourage participation. A report from The Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer has identified three distinct groups amongst the 36% of eligible Australians who don’t participate in bowel screening:
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Intenders (27%) who understand the importance of screening but live busy lives and can’t find the time to do the test
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Refusers (6%) who avoid bowel screening altogether, believing it’s unhygienic, complex or they fear a positive test result
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FOBT Naïve (3%) who are not aware of the NBCSP or the need to screen
You can help by directing your patients to the National Cancer Screening Register to order a free replacement test kit if theirs has expired, been lost or thrown away. You can also order a replacement kit on their behalf via the NCSR Healthcare Provider Portal.
Resources for health professionals have been developed to start a productive conversation around bowel cancer screening. You can help use your influence to raise participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) from 43.5 per cent to 60 per cent and save 84,000 lives by 2040.
