Reducing Overscreening for Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancers among Older Adults (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to promote research on interventions, based in healthcare settings, designed to reduce overscreening for breast, cervical, or colorectal cancers among average-risk older adults. While ongoing efforts to promote screening have been successful, there is growing concern that these tests may be overused, thereby subjecting adults to unnecessary risks. Overscreening older adults may be driven by factors at the individual, healthcare team, healthcare system and community organization levels. Therefore, research is needed both to understand the factors that drive overuse and to develop and test interventions that will reduce overuse in healthcare delivery systems. Research supported by this FOA should propose to intervene at two or more levels, and should measure outcomes at two or more levels, while accounting for interactions that occur between levels. Research supported by this FOA should enhance knowledge and consequences of overscreening to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older adults.