Problem: Cancer significantly affects Indiana’s health care costs, mortality rates and employee output. At the time of this project, approximately two in five state residents expected to develop cancer during their lifetime.1
1Indiana Cancer Consortium. (2015). Indiana Cancer Facts and Figures, 2015. Retrieved from http://indianacancer.org/indiana-cancer-facts-and-figures-2015/. As this link is no longer active, see instead https://www.in.gov/health/newsletters/medical-reference-materials/cancer-reports/
PSE Change Solution: Learning that indirect costs of cancer to employers include more than $100 billion in lost productiveness, the Indiana Cancer Consortium (ICC) examined the cost-effectiveness of preventive services, particularly breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings. The ICC developed a certification program that recognizes workplaces that implement policies supportive of cancer prevention, such as age- and risk-appropriate cancer screening and early detection. After strategic outreach to employers through the Employer Gold Standard (EGS) initiative, more than a dozen organizations have been awarded EGS certification.
Resources to Support Similar Evidence-Based Initiatives
Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs
The Community Guide
What Works for Health