A randomized controlled calendar mail-out to increase cancer screening among urban American Indian and Alaska Native patients

Abstract

This study seeks to ascertain whether a culturally tailored art calendar could improve participation in cancer screening activities. We conducted a randomized, controlled calendar mail-out in which a Native art calendar was sent by first class mail to 5,633 patients seen at an urban American Indian clinic during the prior 2 years. Using random assignment, half of the patients were mailed a "message" calendar with screening information and reminders on breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer; the other half received a calendar without messages. The receipt of cancer screening services was ascertained through chart abstraction in the following 15 months. In total, 5,363 observations (health messages n = 2,695; no messages n = 2,668) were analyzed. The calendar with health messages did not result in increased receipt of any cancer-related prevention outcome compared to the calendar without health messages. We solicited clinic input to create a culturally appropriate visual intervention to increase cancer screening in a vulnerable, underserved urban population. Our results suggest that printed materials with health messages are likely too weak an intervention to produce the desired behavioral outcomes in cancer screening.

Fig. 1

Study diagram