By Dr. Aisha Lofters and Dr. Tara Kiran
Primary care plays a central role in cancer screening. We created this practical toolkit to help primary care providers to improve cancer screening rates in their practices and reduce related disparities, based on our own research and findings from the literature.
1. Understanding your practice’s screening rates
2. Reaching out to patients who are overdue for screening
3. Taking an equity approach
4. Increasing screening rates for patients living with a low income
5. Special considerations for trans populations
6. Appendices:
Dr. Tara Kiran is the Fidani Chair in Improvement and Innovation at the University of Toronto, a family physician with the St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team, and an Associate Scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital. She is an Associate Professor and Vice-Chair Quality and Innovation in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and an Adjunct Scientist at IC/ES. She is also supported as an Embedded Clinician Researcher by Health Quality Ontario and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Her research interests include primary care policy, physician payment, health equity and quality improvement.
Dr. Aisha Lofters is the Chair in Implementation Science at Women’s College Hospital, a family physician with the Women’s College Hospital Family Practice Health Centre and Affiliate Scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in the the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital. She is an Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist at the University of Toronto in the Department of Family & Community Medicine and an Adjunct Scientist at IC/ES. She currently holds a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award, and is Provincial Clinical Lead for Cancer Screening, Primary Care at Cancer Care Ontario. Her research interests include cancer screening, immigrant health and health equity, using a broad range of methods.
