Impact of SMS Messaging on Participation in Colorectal Cancer Screening

Summary

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of mortality in Catalonia. Although early detection programs using the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) are effective in reducing both incidence and mortality, their success relies on high population participation. Currently, in the Vallès Occidental region, the participation rate stands at 42%, which is below the 65% minimum recommended by European health authorities. The objective of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate whether sending a reminder text message (SMS) is an effective tool to increase participation in the screening program. The study will include 10,084 participants aged between 50 and 69 years. Half of the participants will receive a reminder SMS five weeks after their initial invitation, while the other half will follow the standard of care involving postal letters. Researchers anticipate that this strategy will not only increase the number of individuals undergoing screening but also shorten the response time and reduce the need for sending postal reminders

Conditions

• Colorectal Neoplasms
• Early Detection of Cancer

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Text Messaging

Behavioral intervention consisting of a one-way short message service (SMS) text message sent to the mobile phones of participants who have not completed the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) following the initial invitation. A single SMS reminder is sent exactly 5 weeks after the issuance of the standard invitation letter, one week prior to the scheduled postal reminder. Delivery is centrally managed through the secure 'Alhora' messaging platform. The message format is validated through a qualitative pilot study to ensure readability and acceptability by the target population (aged 50-69 years).

BEHAVIORAL

Standard invitation and postal reminder letters

Control intervention based on the colorectal cancer screening program's usual standard of care. Components and Timing: 1. Delivery of a nominal invitation letter at week 0, including program information and instructions for collecting the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit at community pharmacies. 2. In the event of non-participation, delivery of a physical postal reminder letter at week 6. Duration: Participation follow-up for both components concludes 3 months after the initial invitation. This study arm receives no digital or telephone-based stimuli during the study period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

  collaborator OTHER

• Corporacion Parc Tauli

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Anna Selva Olid, PhD, MPH, MD · Corporación Parc Taulí

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

2026-05-05

Primary Completion

2026-09-30

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations