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Celebrity Colon Cancer Screening Promotional Campaign

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

The National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, founded by NBC Today Show co-anchor Katie Couric, uses celebrity promotion campaigns to raise awareness of colon cancer. The campaigns focus on increasing awareness of the risk posed by colon cancer, and reducing the stigma associated with screening procedures. Celebrity spokespeople have included Vanessa Williams, Jimmy Smits, Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman, and Terrence Howard. In March 2000, two years after the death of her husband to colon cancer at age 42, Katie Couric underwent a live, on-air colonoscopy on the Today Show. This event served as the cornerstone of a weeklong series promoting colon cancer awareness and endorsing colon cancer screening.

Goal / Mission

The goal of this campaign is to increase screening for colon cancer.

Results / Accomplishments

A population-based observational pre- and post-study compared colonoscopy utilization rates before and after Katie Couric's television series. The number of colonoscopies performed per physician per month by edoscopists increased significantly from 15.0 before the campaign to 18.1 after the campaign (p < 0.001). A significantly higher post-campaign colonoscopy rate was sustained for 9 months. There was also a trend toward an increase in the percentage of colonoscopies performed on women, from 43.4% to 47.4% (p = 0.054). Colonoscopy rates also increased significantly in managed care organizations, from 1.3 to 1.8 per 1000 members per month (p < 0.001).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Entertainment Industry Foundation National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance
Primary Contact
Entertainment Industry Foundation
National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance
1201 West 5th Street, Suite T-700
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 240-3900
http://www.eifoundation.org/programs/eifs-national...
Topics
Health / Cancer
Health / Prevention & Safety
Art & Recreation / Entertainment & Media
Organization(s)
Entertainment Industry Foundation National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance
Source
Archives of Internal Medicine
Date of publication
Jul 2003
Date of implementation
2000
Location
USA
For more details
Michigan Health Improvement Alliance