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Wake Forest Baptist Health Unveils New Colon Cancer Screening App

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Image credit: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Doctors at Wake Forest Baptist Health have developed an iPad app that assists in colon cancer screening tests. The software puts some decision-making power into patients' hands. 

It's called mobile Patient Technology for Health - or mPATH-CRC for short. It lets patients “self-order” a colon cancer screening test while they're in the waiting room. 

Colon cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., but over one-third of those eligible to be screened don't get the test.

The National Cancer Institute has awarded $1.6 million in grant funds for further testing of the technology in clinics across North Carolina and Kentucky.

Dr. David Miller is a professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and a leading researcher on the study. 

“What this grant funding will let us do is figure out how to get this iPad intervention — which we know works, we know it doubles the chance that people will complete colon cancer screening tests — and actually get it put into routine use in primary care practices,” says Miller.

Miller also says that the mPATH-CRC application is an extension, not a replacement, for a physician's advice.

Eddie Garcia is WFDD’s News Director. He is responsible for planning coverage, editing stories, and leading an award-winning news team as it serves the station’s 32-county listening area. He joined WFDD as an audio production intern in 2007 and went on to hold various roles, including producer, Triad Arts Weekend co-host, reporter, and managing editor. When he’s not working, Eddie enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, and watching films.

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