Image based interventions to facilitate breast cancer screening V.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the use of image interventions alongside usual invitations to facilitate attendance at Breast Cancer Screening
IRAS ID
334873
Contact name
Gaby Judah
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN17886856
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, and is one of the leading causes of death in women under 50 in the UK. The NHS Breast Cancer Screening Programme (NHSBSP) invites women aged 50 to 70 years old every three years to a mammogram. By enabling earlier detection, it is estimated that the NHSBSP saves 1,300 lives per year.
Currently, screening services use letter invitations and SMS reminders to facilitate attendance. Coverage rates have fallen nationally by 10.2% between 2016 and 2022. London has shown particularly poor rates (55.5%), with coverage in 2022 below the acceptable target of 70%. Behavioural science is a field that looks at understanding why people act in particular ways. It has already been successfully applied to improve health behaviours such as hand washing and healthy eating.
Recent studies have shown that behavioural science can be applied to breast screening messages to facilitate uptake of invitations. However, the use of plain text invitations limits which barriers to screening can be addressed, and what techniques can be used. Images based messaging provides a key delivery mechanism that may enable more complex and different combinations to be employed and overcome some of the key barriers to breast screening uptake. There is, however, a lack of data regarding the impact of sending a behavioural science informed image based communication upon attendance at breast cancer screening programmes.
This study looks to investigate the impact of a behavioural science informed image-based leaflet (based on a previously trialled animation video) alongside the usual invitation, compared to the usual invitation letter alone. This will be compared with the impact of the digital animation video sent via SMS reminder through one of the hubs not included in the letter trial.REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0185
Date of REC Opinion
19 Mar 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion