5 QUICK FIT TIPS FROM ACROSS ONTARIO
Since the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) launch on June 24, 2019, about 200,000 FIT kits have been distributed to patients in Ontario!
To continue to support you and your patients in screening with FIT, here are 5 quick tips:
- Make sure that your patient is age-eligible for screening with FIT
People 50 to 74 years of age who do not have a first-degree family history are eligible for screening with FIT based on the ColonCancerCheck screening guidelines. At your discretion, LifeLabs will also accept requisitions for patients 49 and 75-85 years of age. FIT should not be used as a diagnostic test for symptomatic patients. These patients should be referred, as clinically appropriate, for colonoscopy. - Talk with your patients about timely FIT kit return
FIT kits expire after six months. If you choose to batch fax FIT requisitions, contact your patients to confirm their mailing addresses, notify them that they will receive a kit in the mail, and remind them to return their kits promptly. We recommend sending a reminder to patients who have not completed their kit before the 6-month mark. If you batch faxed FIT requisitions around the time of FIT launch, you will want to be reminding patients with outstanding kits now. - Remind patients to close the FIT tube securely!
Leaking tubes are a common reason for rejected kits. Please remind your patients to close the FIT tube securely after completing the test so that it does not need to be repeated. - Show patients the right amount of stool to put on the FIT stick
Another common reason for rejected kits is too much stool. LifeLabs cannot analyze these kits. Please remind your patients that the stool should cover all of the grooves at the end of the stick, but not go beyond that. - Remind patients to write the date of the sample on the FIT tube
LifeLabs will call your patient if the collection date is missing, but many people do not remember the exact date. If LifeLabs is unable to confirm a collection date, the FIT result will be invalid and your patient will need to repeat their test.
W
e hope that these 5 quick FIT tips will help you get your patients successfully screened with FIT! Click here for FIT kit instructions, including translated instructions in 32 different languages.