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The provincial auditor said the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency needs to do better when it comes to colonoscopies.
In her latest report, out Tuesday, auditor Judy Ferguson wrote that the agency should reduce the time patients have to wait for colonoscopies after abnormal screening results, and reduce how long it takes to give a patient results after those colonoscopies.
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the province, according to the report, and cases are rising because of Saskatchewan’s aging population.
Under 60 days is the benchmark for a person to wait for a colonoscopy after getting abnormal screening results, and the report said in its audit it found 22 people waited longer than that.
The audit also found that 12 people with a cancer diagnosis had to wait between 15 and 104 days for their colonoscopy results.
“Timely receipt of results assists in determining and providing appropriate and timely treatment,” read the report.
The report also said the agency should figure out if promotional strategies can increase participation in the colorectal cancer screening program. Participation has been slowly going down over the last few years.
Also, the report recommends the agency use performance indicators to measure the success of the screening program and provide timely analysis of the screening program to management.
