Behavioural design for bowel cancer screening uptake; A quasi RCT.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can behavioural design improve uptake on bowel cancer screening; A quasi-randomised controlled trial.
IRAS ID
185491
Contact name
Ruth Nicholson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 25 days
Research summary
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK contributing a 13% of all cancer cases and 10% of cancer deaths. If caught early the natural course of the disease can be altered to improve morbidity and mortality.
Bowel cancer screening targets the asymptomatic but at risk population by offering the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) to look for traces of blood in stool samples and saves approximately 2,000 lives per year in the UK. A Cochrane review found that screening with the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) reduced bowel cancer deaths.
Barriers to screening highlighted in previous studies include dislike of collecting the stool sample, lack of symptoms, low risk perception and confusion on instructions. To this end we will test a service improvement tool through a 3-armed quasi-randomised controlled trial. We will compare the uptake of bowel screening in a control group to groups receive firstly a redesigned information format printed on an A5 leaflet and secondly a flushable stool catcher to aid sample taking. Both interventions will be accompanied by a web link to informative web animations that were designed to address behavioural barriers to bowel screening.
These interventions if successful may provide a powerful, cost-effective way to improve uptake of bowel cancer screening that can be easily distributed on a wider scale, therefore improving the efficacy of the existing programme.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NE/0055
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion