Text reminders vs patient navigation to improve FIT screening uptake
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of text-message reminders and telephone patient navigation to improve the uptake of faecal immunochemical test screening among non-responders in London.
IRAS ID
299034
Contact name
Robert S. Kerrison
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN17245519
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Data protection registration, Z6364106/2021/07/08
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in England. Bowel cancer screening can reduce bowel cancer deaths by detecting bowel cancer early. Previous research has shown that bowel cancer screening can lower a person’s risk of dying from bowel cancer over 25%. The NHS in England now offers free bowel cancer screening to 60-74 year olds registered with a general practice
(GP); however, uptake is low, particularly within more deprived areas. For this study, we will aim to answer the question: 'Can GP practice based interventions help increase the uptake of bowel cancer screening in deprived areas of London with low uptake?" Over a 6 month period, individuals due to receive their NHS Bowel Cancer Screening invitation (identified through GPs) will be randomly
assigned to one of three groups, with attendance monitored and compared between groups:
1) no intervention ('usual care' only),
2) a text-message reminder, which will be sent 13 weeks after the bowel cancer screening invitation, with additional text-message reminders sent at 15, 17 and 19 weeks if there is no response, or
3) a text-message reminder, sent 13 weeks after invitation, followed by patient navigation telephone calls at 15, 17 and 19 weeks if there is no response.
Uptake of bowel cancer screening in each trial arm will be assessed 11 weeks after the randomisation of the final participant.
The interventions have been shown to be successful at increasing uptake in the context of breast cancer screening and could similarly be effective for bowel cancer screening.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0212
Date of REC Opinion
20 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion