BRIDGE-CRC
Bridging Early Detection Gaps: Strengthening Community Pharmacies’ Roles in Colorectal Cancer Screening by Including Citizens’ and Pharmacies’ Perspectives
Context
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in Switzerland. Without screening, two out of 80 individuals die before the age of 80. While effective screening programs for detecting CRC are available, participation from the target population – citizens aged 50 to 69 with an average CRC risk – is lower than desired. Pharmacies are ideal partners for implementing screening programs, yet their roles and citizens’ preferences have rarely been explored.
About the project
In BRIDGE-CRC, a team of local program and participant representatives and pharmacists, with a team of researchers, will 1) investigate what program (non-)participants and pharmacists need and prefer when it comes to making the Lucerne CRC screening program more accessible, and 2) co-create innovative strategies and solutions to recruit more CRC program participants through pharmacies. What we learn through the Lucerne program, we will also share with other organized CRC screening programs in Switzerland.
Project phases
- Exploration: In this phase, we will collaborate with local pharmacies and program (non-)participants to understand why pharmacies’ inclusion of participants in the program remains limited and why (non-)participants often do not consider their local pharmacy as a point of access to the program.
- Idea generation: Then we will facilitate joint brainstorming sessions with Lucerne pharmacists and program (non-)participants to develop a wide range of practical ideas for increasing the number of participants entering the program through community pharmacies.
- Prioritization: In this phase, we will select some of the collaboratively generated ideas for further development.
- Prototyping: And finally, we will refine these selected ideas so they can be practically implemented and tested in local pharmacies.
Participate in the project
The Lucerne colorectal cancer screening program is for Lucerne residents aged 50-69 years at average risk of colon cancer.
In BRIDGE-CRC, we want to collaborate with program participants and non-participants to co-design novel promotional materials and in-pharmacy processes so they are appealing, relevant, and persuasive. This will be creative, collaborative work. Involved citizens will work closely with Lucerne pharmacists and our research team, thereby gaining insight into the structure and operation of the cantonal CRC screening program and the diagnostic tests that play a crucial role in preventing cancer-related mortality.
If you are a Lucerne resident in the eligible age group and are interested in contributing to the project, feel free to contact us!
