Details
Cancer screening (OHT)
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OHTs can support increased participation in cancer screening and follow-up services in collaboration with their Regional Cancer Programs, especially for patients without access to a primary care provider (unattached patients).
If you have any questions or require guidance when designing and implementing cancer screening initiatives, please engage with your Regional Cancer Screening Program. For contact information, please see the OHT Regional Contact List.
Review and analyze data to identify, understand, and explore variation within the patient population
- Access your OHT Quarterly Performance Report.
- Access your OHT Data Dashboard or email OHTanalytics@OntarioHealth.ca to request access
- Primary care providers can leverage data from their MyPractice or MyPractice Reports Plus (with Screening Activity Report Data)
- For support with using data to inform design of local initiatives, contact Rapid-Improvement Support and Exchange (RISE)
- Engage your Regional Cancer Program for support with cancer screening and contact PrimaryCareInquiries@OntarioHealth.ca for more information.
Change Ideas
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Optimize screening processes and leverage digital health solutions
- Map your local processes with provincial pathway maps to build best practices for the management of patients
- For attached patients, develop electronic medical record(EMR) reminder systems like Ocean to track and contact patients due for cancer screening using reports such as the MyPractice Primary Care Plus report (with Screening Activity Report data). Consider patient preference such as language and method of communication (e.g., email, text, and phone). Add health promotion messages in reminders. Integrate with online appointment booking systems.
Education and training
- Increase awareness and use of best practice cancer screening guidance, tools and resources
- Review Guidelines & Advice: Screening Resources for Healthcare Providers with providers to decrease variation in practice
Engage patients
- Provide patients with information about cancer screening. Integrate health promotion into reminder systems and scheduled visits
- For more information on screening, link patients to My CancerIQ and Get Checked for Cancer
- For more information on cervical screening, link patients to Cervical Screening and the Ontario Cervical Screening Program
- For more information on breast screening, link patients to Screening for Breast Cancer
- For more information on colorectal screening, link patients to Screening for Colorectal Cancer and ColonCancerCheck
- For patients without a primary care provider (unattached), provide materials at points of entry into the system for self-referrals.
- Health811 (call 811 [TTY: 1-866-797-0007] or use the live chat on the Health811 website) to access the free ColonCancerCheck fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit to screen for colon cancer or to find a clinic that does cervical screening
- Ontario Breast Screening Program Locations (patients can self-refer)
- For Indigenous-led health centres, link patients to the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
- Consider using mobile screening, outreach, community ambassadors or cancer screening events/clinics for unattached patients and/or those most affected by the social determinants of health
- Reference the Culturally Informed Outreach Planning Tool for examples and guidance to support development of community-based prevention and outreach plans
- Co-create equity-oriented cancer screening engagement strategies (example: Open Door Program)
Last Updated: August 26, 2026
