Clinical trial NCT04343950: SMS Messaging as a Tool to Improve Cancer Screening Programs
Official title: Implementation of Text Messaging (SMS) as an Improvement Tool in Population-based Cancer Screening Programs
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mass Screening
Colorectal Cancer
Breast Cancer
Keywords: Uptake
Participation
Cost-effectiveness
Breast cancer screening
Colorectal cancer screening
Text-message
Mobile-health
Lead sponsor: Institut Català d'Oncologia
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Dundee
name: University of Barcelona
name: University Rovira i Virgili
First posted: 2020-04-14
Enrollment: 20000
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 50
Maximum age (years): 69
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Intervention 1: SMS reminders for colorectal cancer screening compared to reminder letters.

Intervention 2: SMS reminders to return the fecal occult blood test at the pharmacy compared to no intervention.

Intervention 3: Invitation by SMS for women with a prior participation in the breast cancer screening program compared to invitation letter.
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief 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.

Detailed description: Main Hypothesis:

The implementation of SMS in population-based cancer screening programs will improve participation, especially in colorectal cancer screening, will allow a better resource management and reduce costs in both programs.

Specific Hypothesis:

Sending the reminder SMS will have an impact on participation greater than that obtained with the standard reminder (letter) in the colorectal cancer screening program.

The effect of the colorectal cancer screening reminder SMS will be greater among the individuals who have been invited for the first time and not previous participants.

Participation after receiving the invitation by SMS in breast cancer screening will be equal to or better than the letter invitation.

The alternative that includes sending SMS will be cost-effective in relation to the current alternative that you use postal shipping.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Eligible individuals for colorectal cancer screening (intervention 1 and 2)
* Eligible women for breast cancer screening (intervention 3)
* Registered at the HealthCare Database (RCA)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals without a mobile phone number registered at the RCA
* Opt out from breast cancer screening and/or colorectal cancer screening

Primary outcomes:
measure: Intervention 1: Participation in colorectal cancer screening program
timeFrame: 18 weeks
measure: Intervention 2: Participation in colorectal cancer screening program among individuals who pick the test at the pharmacy
timeFrame: 18 weeks
measure: Intervention 3: Participation in breast cancer screening program
timeFrame: 8 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Incremental cost ratio
timeFrame: 18 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Institut Català d'Oncologia
name: Montse Garcia, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Vives N, Farre A, Ibanez-Sanz G, Vidal C, Binefa G, Mila N, Perez-Lacasta MJ, Travier N, Benito L, Espinas JA, Bagaria G, Garcia M. Text messaging as a tool to improve cancer screening programs (M-TICS Study): A randomized controlled trial protocol. PLoS One. 2021 Jan 22;16(1):e0245806. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245806. eCollection 2021.