The recommendations are part of a medical guideline designed to improve healthcare for people who face barriers in accessing it, including those who are Indigenous, racialized or who identify as LGBTQ, as well as those who live with disabilities or on low incomes. The guideline is intended to address the fact that many people in those groups have disproportionately poor health outcomes, either because they don’t have primary care providers or because of discrimination and stigmatization. The recommendations include:
- Providing colorectal screening starting at age 45, rather than 50;
- Encouraging self-testing for cervical cancer and HIV;
- Performing blood tests for tuberculosis, rather than skin tests, which require multiple visits;
- Screening patients for heart disease;
- Automatically enrolling people with primary care providers; and
- Screening patients for depression and poverty.
Related:
Doctors say at-home screening for HPV could be an opportunity to 'eliminate a cancer' - CBC News
Les autotests de dépistage, une solution pour prévenir le cancer chez les Autochtones - Radio-Canada
ICES launches framework to promote health equity, community engagement in research - ICES