Medscape's Public Health Group Launches CDC Colorectal Cancer Screening Provider Education Course

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May 11, 2021, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To advance colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in which health visits have declined,¹the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has contracted with Medscape Education to launch two courses for physicians and other healthcare professionals focused on strategies to implement screening for CRC. Screening can decrease CRC incidence and mortality and is recommended in clinical practice guidelines.²

Screening can be of little value, however, if performed with poor quality.

CRC is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. among cancers that affect both men and women.³ In 2021, there will be an estimated 149,500 new CRC cases and an estimated 52,980 deaths due to CRC.

"Given these figures, we must arm providers across the United States with the knowledge they need to identify CRC cases and prospective cases early," said Douglas Kaufman, Group Vice President, Medscape Education. "Medscape Education sits at the vanguard of providing its millions of members with high quality education and is honored to have been selected by the CDC, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where elective health visits, focused on diagnosis and screening, have decreased substantially," Kaufman also noted.

Given the frequency of CRC in the general population and the significant impact on patients and their families, early diagnosis and prevention are imperative. CRC screening can result in detection and removal of precancerous lesions. Diagnosis of CRC early in the disease course improves prognosis. Five-year survival rates are as high as 90% for patients with localized disease, compared to less than 15% for those with advanced disease.

Medscape Education developed these two courses using its innovative Video Lecture and Clinical Anthology formats. These courses are now available for credit, which are Section 508 compliant to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and related regulations:

CRC Screening and Surveillance: Optimizing Quality - Authors: Douglas Corley, MD, PhD.; Michael P. Pignone, MD, MPH; Jennifer Weiss, MD, MS - 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™, 1.0 contact hour(s) of continuing nursing education for RNs and APNs
Screening for Colorectal Cancer: Recommended Best Practices - Authors: David Lieberman, MD

0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™, 0.50 contact hour(s) of continuing nursing education for RNs and APNs

Dr. Jean Shapiro from CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control explains, "Primary care providers can help ensure that patients receive appropriate colorectal cancer screening that can save lives. These courses provide guidance for primary care providers on ways to improve the quality of colorectal cancer screening that their patients receive."

Medscape Education courses are available free to its members, including 780,000 U.S. physicians and some three million other healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and nurses.

1. Dotson WD, et al. Stool-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening in the COVID-19 Era. CDC Genomics and Precision Health Blog. 2021

2. Centers for Disease Control. Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests. CDC.gov. 2021

3. Centers for Disease Control. Five Things to Know About Colorectal Cancer Screening. CDC.gov. 2020

About Medscape Education
Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free CME and CE courses and other educational programs for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

SOURCE Medscape Education