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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Jan;33(1):72-78.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-017-4184-x. Epub 2017 Oct 10.

Effect of Reminding Patients to Complete Fecal Immunochemical Testing: A Comparative Effectiveness Study of Automated and Live Approaches

Gloria D Coronado  1 , Jennifer S Rivelli  2 , Morgan J Fuoco  2 , William M Vollmer  2 , Amanda F Petrik  2 , Erin Keast  2 , Sara Barker  3 , Emily Topalanchik  3 , Ricardo Jimenez  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of Reminding Patients to Complete Fecal Immunochemical Testing: A Comparative Effectiveness Study of Automated and Live Approaches

Gloria D Coronado et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

Background: The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends multi-component interventions, including patient reminders, to improve uptake of colorectal cancer screening.

Objective: We sought to compare the effectiveness of different forms of reminders for a direct-mail fecal immunochemical test (FIT) program.

Design: Patient-randomized controlled trial.

Participants: 2772 adults aged 50-75, not up to date with colorectal cancer screening recommendations, with a clinic visit in the previous year at any of four participating health center clinics.

Intervention: Participants were mailed an introductory letter and FIT. Those who did not complete their FIT within 3 weeks were randomized to receive (1) a reminder letter, (2) two automated phone calls, (3) two text messages, (4) a live phone call, (5) a reminder letter and a live phone call, (6) two automated phone calls and a live phone call, or (7) two text messages and a live phone call. Patients with a patient portal account were sent two email reminders, but were not randomized.

Main measures: FIT return rates for each group, 6 months following randomization.

Key results: A total of 255 (10%) participants returned their FIT within 3 weeks of the mailing. Among randomized participants (n = 2010), an additional 25.5% returned their FITs after reminders were delivered (estimated overall return rate = 32.7%). In intention-to-treat analysis, compared to the group allocated to receive a reminder letter, return rates were higher for the group assigned to receive the live phone call (OR = 1.51 [1.03-2.21]) and lower for the group assigned to receive text messages (OR = 0.66 [0.43-0.99]). Reminder effectiveness differed by language preference.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that FIT reminders that included a live call were more effective than reminders that relied solely on written communication (a text message or letter).

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov/ctc2/show/NCT01742065 .

Keywords: automated and live reminders; colorectal cancer screening; direct-mail program; fecal testing; federally qualified health centers.

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Conflict of interest statement

From November 2014 to August 2015, Dr. Coronado served as a co-investigator on a study funded by Epigenomics; the study had no influence ion the design, conduct or results reporting of the present study. All other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Figure 1
CONSORT diagram of Sea Mar.
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