SMS Messaging as a Tool to Improve Cancer Screening Programs

Summary

The aim of this project is to assess the impact on health and economics of the implementation of text messaging (SMS) in cancer screening programs. Three interventions with SMS will be evaluated through community trials. In the colorectal cancer screening program the following interventions will be tested: a) Participation reminder: six weeks after sending the invitation letter of the colorectal cancer program if there has not been a response, a reminder SMS will be sent in front of the usual method by letter; b) Reminder to return the fecal occult blood test: SMS reminder of test delivery versus no intervention. This reminder will be sent to the individuals who have gone to the pharmacy to pick up a fecal occult blood test and they have not returned it after 14 days. The impact on participation will be analyzed and, if applicable, the proportion of advanced neoplasms will be calculated by increase in participation. In the breast cancer screening program, the invitation by SMS versus the usual invitation by letter will be studied in women who had participated in the previous screening round. The impact on participation will be analyzed. A cost-effectiveness analysis of the three interventions will be carried out. The incremental cost ratio of the interventions between cost variation and effectiveness variation will be calculated.

Conditions

• Mass Screening
• Colorectal Cancer
• Breast Cancer

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

SMS reminders to enhance colorectal cancer screening

Individual randomization will be used. Individuals assigned to the experimental arm with a wrong phone number will get a reminder letter (protocol analysis).

BEHAVIORAL

SMS reminders to return the fecal immunochemical test at the pharmacy in CRC screening:

Individual randomization will be used. Individuals with a wrong phone number assigned to the experimental arm will not get any reminder (protocol analysis).

BEHAVIORAL

Invitation by SMS to previous participants in breast cancer screening:

Individual randomization. Women assigned to the experimental arm and with a wrong phone number will get an invitation letter (protocol analysis).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Dundee

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Barcelona

  collaborator OTHER

• University Rovira i Virgili

  collaborator OTHER

• Institut Català d'Oncologia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Montse Garcia, PhD · Institut Català d'Oncologia

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

50 Years

Max Age

69 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-06-05

Primary Completion

2022-10-31

Completion

2022-12-31

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations