In this episode of For the Health of It, host Dr. Usha Periyanayagam, Head of Research and Analytics, Komodo Health™, spoke with Lisa Richardson, PhD, Director of Cancer Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about the power real-world insights have to improve outcomes for oncology patients. As part of our shared mission, Komodo Health and the CDC are partnering to investigate and map the journeys of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, from the red-flag symptoms to diagnosis to treatment.

Dr. Richardson is passionate about the ways in which “data for action,” or insights derived from real-world evidence, can drive systemic change for patients with CRC. As part of that mission, the CDC is building new screening, education, and outreach programs designed to overcome the hurdles that patients — especially patients of color — face. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on early-detection measurements remains; a new analysis by Komodo Health found that there has not yet been a rebound in screening rates to make up for the drop in utilization seen during the pandemic. In a deeper dive into the pandemic’s ripple effects, Komodo and the CDC are publishing upcoming research mapping the CRC patient journey to better understand where and how interventions can be implemented. Now more than ever, programs like the ones Dr. Richardson is championing are powerful tools in the fight against diseases like CRC. 

During CRC Awareness Month, Komodo Health is proud to be united in blue with a coalition of patients, providers, policymakers, and advocacy organizations like FightCRC and BLKHLTH. We hope our real-world insights will help inform policy discussions, provider education programs, and patient awareness initiatives. Ultimately, we all have the same shared mission: to reduce the burden of CRC for patients and their families.