The Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) [1] delivered within Dorset Integrated Care System set out to improve early cancer diagnosis for colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly amongst coastal communities which experience some of the highest levels of health inequality. The overall aims of the project were to: a) improve earlier and faster diagnosis of CRC in the targeted deprived coastal communities by enabling Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Dorset to manage residents who are most at risk of CRC and b) increase the use of faecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits to aid CRC diagnosis. Interventions to address these aims included county-wide deployment of clinical decision support software for clinicians called C the Signs and development of educational interventions to increase public awareness, usage and completion rates of FIT kits. Health Innovation Wessex was commissioned to undertake an evaluation of this project.
The evaluation used a mixed-method approach to understand the outcomes and impact of the InHIP. It sought to address questions regarding Dorset residents’ perceptions of using a FIT kit by collecting qualitative data using an online survey and focus groups. Quantitative data, supplied by C the Signs and Dorset Intelligence and Insight Service (DiiS), was analysed to assess the impact of C the Signs by comparing FIT kit completion rates between GP practices with and without C the Signs system, accessibility of FIT kits, and short-term outcomes for CRC in the under-served communities.
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