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Objective: Individuals with an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result have an elevated risk of colorectal cancer, and the risk increases if the follow-up colonoscopy is delayed. Of note, rates of follow-up colonoscopy are alarmingly low in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), US health care settings that serve a majority racial and ethnic minority patient population. We assessed factors associated with colonoscopy after an abnormal FIT result and used chart-abstracted data to assess reasons (including process measures) for lack of follow-up as part of an annual, mailed-FIT outreach program within a large, Latino-serving FQHC., Methods: As part of the National Institutes of Health-funded PROMPT study, we identified patients with an abnormal FIT result and used logistic regression to assess associations between patient demographics and receipt of follow-up colonoscopy, controlling for patients' preferred language. We report on time (days) to referral and time to colonoscopy. For charts with an abnormal FIT result but no evidence of colonoscopy, we performed a manual abstraction and obtained the reason for the absence of colonoscopy. When there was no evidence of colonoscopy in a patient's electronic health record (EHR), we performed an automated query of the administrative claims database to identify colonoscopy outcomes., Results: We identified 324 patients with abnormal FIT results from July to October 2018. These patients were mostly publicly insured (Medicaid 53.1%, Medicare 14.5%), 81.8% were aged 50 to 64 years, 55.3% were female, 80.3% were Hispanic/Latino, and 67.3% preferred to speak Spanish. We found that 108/324 (33.3%) patients completed colonoscopy within 12 months, and the median time to colonoscopy was 94 days (IQR: 68-176). Common barriers to colonoscopy completion, obtained from chart-abstracted data, were: no documentation following referral to gastrointestinal (GI) specialist or GI consultation (41.6%), no referral to GI specialist following abnormal fecal test (34.2%), and absence of a valid insurance authorization (6.5%)., Conclusions: Multi-level strategies are needed to provide optimal care across the cancer continuum for FQHC patients. In order to reduce the risk of CRC and realize the return on fecal testing investment, concerted system-level efforts are urgently needed to improve rates of follow-up colonoscopy among FQHC patients and redress racial and ethnic disparities in CRC screening outcomes.

Introduction: Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and screening rates are disproportionately low among Latinos. One factor thought to contribute to the low screening rate is the difficulty Latinos encounter in understanding health information, and therefore in taking appropriate health action. Therefore, we used Boot Camp Translation (BCT), a patient engagement approach, to engage Latino stakeholders (ie, patients, clinic staff) in refining the messages and format of colon cancer screening reminders for a clinic-based direct mail fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) program., Methods: Patient participants were Latino, ages 50 to 75 years, able to speak English or Spanish, and willing to participate in the in-person kickoff meeting and follow-up phone calls over a 3-month period. We held separate BCT sessions for English- and Spanish-speaking participants. As part of the in-person meetings, a bilingual colon cancer expert presented on colon health and screening messages and BCT facilitators led interactive sessions where participants reviewed materials and reminder messages in various modalities (eg, letter, text). Participants considered what information about colon cancer screening was important, the best methods to share these messages, and the timing and frequency with which these messages should be delivered to patients to encourage FIT completion. We used follow-up phone calls to iteratively refine materials developed based on key learnings from the in-person meeting., Results: Twenty-five adults participated in the in-person sessions (English [n = 12]; Spanish [n = 13]). Patient participants were primarily enrolled in Medicaid/uninsured (76%) and had annual household incomes less than $20,000 (67%). Key themes distilled from the sessions included increasing awareness that screening can prevent colon cancer, stressing the urgency of screening, emphasizing the motivating influence of family, and using personalized messages from the practice such as 'I' or 'we' statements in letters or automated phone call reminders delivered by humans. Participants in both sessions noted the importance of receiving an automated or live alert before a FIT kit is mailed and a reminder within 2 weeks of FIT kit mailing., Discussion: Using BCT, we successfully incorporated participant feedback to adapt culturally relevant health messages to promote FIT testing among Latino patients served by community clinics. Materials will be tested in the larger Participatory Research to Advance Colon Cancer Prevention (PROMPT) trial., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© Copyright 2019 by the American Board of Family Medicine.)

The recent Mayo Clinic experience in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in Indochinese refugees is discussed. One hundred patients from whom stool and blood specimens were submitted for parasitic examination showed a high percentage of parasitic infection, often with multiple agents. An outline for the initial medical examination and treatment of the parasitic agents found is presented.

The role of the IRB in a Medical Center is presented with respect to investigations of medical device safety and effectiveness involving human subjects. The prime points presented and discussed are: the reasons (governmental, social, economic, legal-liability, scientific and moral) for the existence of an IRB; the analytical and descriptive documentation which should always precede experimentation; the concepts governing an application to a "typical" IRB; a practical, detailed outline of some special facts and circumstances typically most important to an IRB; and, the question of confidentiality of trade secrets.