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The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has commenced a health technology assessment (HTA) to expand Ireland’s national colorectal cancer screening programme, BowelScreen, to people aged 50 to 54 years.
BowelScreen uses a home test kit to detect the amount of blood in the stool. If the amount of blood in the stool exceeds the screening limit, participants will be referred for a colonoscopy. The program currently invites people aged 59 to 69 to be screened every two years, with a commitment to screen people aged 55 to 74 in the future.
HIQA deputy chief executive and director of health technology assessment, Dr Máirín Ryan, said screening helped detect signs of cancer at an early stage, when there might not be any symptoms.
“We are conducting a review to consider the impact of extending the BowelScreen programme to people aged 50 to 54. In this review we will explore the benefits, potential harms and organisational and ethical implications of extending the age for colorectal cancer screening for patients, the public and the Irish healthcare system,” she said.
HIQA was asked by the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) to conduct this HTA. The NSAC is an independent advisory committee established by the Minister for Health that plays a key strategic role in the development and review of population-based screening programmes in Ireland.
Once the assessment is complete, a draft assessment will be made available to the public for feedback on the draft assessment findings. Feedback will be reflected in the final HTA report submitted to NSAC. Feedback received during the consultation period and HIQA’s responses to issues raised (including any changes made to the report) will be published in a report on the HIQA website along with the final HTA.
The full HTA and recommendations to the NSAC will be published in due course.
Read the Agreement www.hiqa.ie
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