Participation of the Czech population in the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme - trends and current situation
Abstract
Background: The Czech Republic has a leading position in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in comparison with other countries. The screening programme, which has been implemented in the Czech Republic since 2000, is an essential part of prevention.
The success of the programme depends on the participation of the target population. Many activities have been carried out to promote a higher adherence of the population to screening.
At the beginning of 2014, the programme was strengthened by introducing personalised invitations to screening for non-attenders. The aim of the paper is to present the current situation in terms of coverage of the target population by screening examinations and the participation rate after personalised invitations in the Czech Republic.
Material and Methods: Data from healthcare payers, which capture a fully representative profile of all screening tests provided at the national level, were used to evaluate the coverage of the target population (up to 2016) and the participation rate after invitation (for invitations sent from January 2014 to December 2016).