Cancer Screening

This CQI topic focuses on improving participation in the National Cervical Screening Program and National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

General practice teams are well positioned to identify patients who are eligible or overdue, discuss screening during consultations and support patients to participate. Continuous quality improvement can help practices use their data to identify screening gaps, strengthen practice systems and support more eligible patients to screen:

• Cervical screening: eligible women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 can access a cervical screening test every five years. Self-collection is available as an option.
• Bowel screening: eligible people aged 45 to 74 can access free bowel screening every two years. People aged 45 to 49 can request their first free kit, while eligible people aged 50 to 74 receive kits through the national program. 

The National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) supports both programs and helps practices access and manage relevant patient screening information. 

Form your CQI Team 

• Designate a CQI lead and team members
• Have a CQI team meeting to get started
• Plan CQI team roles according to staff skills, interest and position
• Set up a shared file/folder for the change team to share documents
• Engage with your Brisbane North PHN QI&D Engagement Officer for help and support 

Choose your topic, tools and timelines 

As a team, choose whether to focus on cervical, bowel or any other cancer screening activity. 

• Review what your practice is already doing in this area. 

As a team, choose what area you want to focus on – try using some of these brainstorming tools: 

• Aim statement
• Problem Statement
• Root Cause Analysis
• Have you looked at your data?
• What do Primary Sense or other data tell you?  This will become your base-line data.
• What are the key barriers you will need to overcome? 

Next steps

Follow the 10 step CQI process and document your activities using our simple CQI template.

Get Support

For support and guidance on implementing CQI in your practice, contact our quality improvement and development engagement officers via Practice Support.