Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Screenings for heart disease and cancer can go a long way toward reducing illness and premature death, yet only one quarter of boomers regularly take advantage of these kinds of preventative services, according to a new study.

Although screens and vaccines have been recommended for years, they remain "woefully underutilized" among adults aged 50 to 64, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AARP and the American Medical Association.

The problem stems, in part, from limited access to clinical preventative services, especially among minorities. Insufficient insurance coverage also is to blame. Meanwhile, states are behind the CDC's Healthy People 2010 targets to increase certain screenings and lower unhealthy behaviors, highlighting the opportunity to promote greater awareness.

"People aged 50 to 64 need access to preventive services to help them improve their overall health and to live vibrant, productive lives," said CDC Director Thomas Frieden.

For example, only five states met the target of more than 90 percent of woman having a cervical cancer screening within the past three years, and one state reported that less than 12 percent of its residents are current smokers. None met the goal of more than 60 percent getting a flu shot, or having an obesity rate of less than 15 percent.

The irony, in many cases, is that the costs of recommended immunizations, screening, early detection and counseling are often far less than the expense of treating the disease. However, the public is receiving some mixed messages from medical groups. Adding to confusion is recent guidance for women to cut back on two key screens used in the detection of breast and cervical cancer. 

Community Efforts
Even before these new recommendations, the CDC report was commissioned to enhance the delivery and use of all recommended preventive services. This includes the influenza vaccine, cholesterol screening, breast and cervical cancer screening, as well as tests related to behaviors that could hurt an adult's health such as binge drinking.

Currently, the CDC, AARP and AMA are working to increase clinical and community efforts that promote the delivery of preventative services. One idea is to rely more on community-based venues as workplaces, places of worship, local shops, community and senior centers and voting sites.

By 2015, an estimated 63 million US adults will be between the ages of 50 and 64, comprising 20 percent of the nation's population. This group will be at greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer than younger adults. Almost one-third of adults in this age group are uninsured or underinsured, which exacerbates the challenges preventive services access.

Health care system providers and community officials also need to pay attention to racial and ethnic disparities in the use of preventive services.

"The racial and ethnic composition of adults in the United States is becoming more diverse," said Wayne Giles, director of CDC's division of adult and community health. "We must take this trend into account as we promote the use of clinical preventive services to ensure that appropriate strategies are implemented to improve the health of all adults."

To that end, the report highlights model programs, policies and strategies that communities can adopt, alongside health care partners, to  ensure services reach those in need. For example, WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation) and SPARC (Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration) are emphasizing hard-to-reach populations, as well as those less likely to use or have access to services in a clinical setting.