Prioritizing performance and outcome indicators for quality assessment of cancer screening programs in the EU

Abstract

Objectives

A key element in ensuring appropriate balance of harms and benefits in cancer screening is to develop a priority set of performance and outcome indicators to be used in screening data evaluation systems. These indicators need to be equity-focused, aligned to new screening approaches and broad-based to cover possible opportunistic screening, but at the same time as limited as possible.

Study design

Indicators for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening programs were chosen through a consensus building Delphi methodology involving a panel of cancer screening experts.

Methods

The list of indicators was developed using a multistage process. First, a systematic search was performed along with an extensive grey literature search to identify all potential existing indicators. Next, these indicators were refined by two expert groups, definitions and calculations were agreed upon, redundant indicators removed. A final list of 38 indicators was put forward into a Delphi study. 33 cancer screening experts were invited to take part. The Delphi study consisted of two rounds of an online survey and an online facilitated discussion between the cancer screening experts.

Results

23 indicators were chosen covering 10 predefined indicator categories with detection rate, examination coverage and interval cancer rate deemed most important. Outcome indicators such as crude incidence rate and time from screen to result notification, while ultimately reaching consensus were deemed of less importance.

Conclusion

23 priority indicators cover the entire screening pathway including harms, barriers and inequalities. These indicators have been piloted by the CanScreen-ECIS project.