For many practices, the overall outcome aims for this toolkit are ambitious. If so, they can be viewed as ‘stretch aims’ that will be achieved over a long period by embedding high quality cancer screening processes into your practice’s core business.
To establish the most appropriate aims for your practice:
- assess your baseline screening rates (see Module 2 for further information)
- think about your patient population (e.g. do you have large cohorts of patients who are more likely to be under-screened? (see Module 3 for more information on under-screened groups)
- use this information to decide on appropriate medium- and long-term targets for your practice.
For example, you may aim to increase participation in breast, bowel and cervical screening by 5% within 12 months. If you hit this target, you can then set yourself a new aim.
Remember, it’s important to monitor and celebrate progress!