Outreach for Patients With Uncompleted Colorectal Cancer Screening Orders

Northwestern University628 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether patient outreach is effective at increasing compliance with preventive screenings ordered by their physician. We hypothesize that educational outreach may increase completion rates.

We designed an intervention to focus on patients who have received and accepted a referral for colonoscopy, yet have exhibited some barriers to screening as demonstrated by a lack of screening completion. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of a multicomponent intervention (patient reminder, print and multimedia materials) on colorectal screening completion among this target population.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

628

Conditions

Colorectal Cancer Screening Prevention & Control

Interventions

Educational outreachBEHAVIORAL

Participants will get a letter from their physician that explains that their records show the test has not been completed. The letter will be mailed along with an educational brochure and a DVD about colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer screening.

Eligibility

Sex: ALL

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Patient's physician has ordered a preventive screening test * Patient has not completed this test in 3 months * Patient of Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation General Internal Medicine Clinic. Exclusion Criteria: * Patient has been given a more recent order for the same screening test. * Patient has significant life stress as noted in the Electronic Health Record (EHR)

Locations (1)

Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation General Internal Medicine Clinic

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Colorectal Cancer Screening Completion.

We reviewed electronic health records of participants 3 months post randomization to ascertain outcome. We looked for one or both of the following (1) note in free text MD note documenting receipt of one form of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening during study period (2)lab results from fecal occult blood test, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy. Participants were categorized as completing CRC screening if there was a lab result or physician note located in chart during study period. If no note or lab result was found in chart, then the participant was categorized as not completing CRC screening.

Time frame: 3 months post randomization

Secondary Outcomes

Colorectal Cancer Screening Completion

We reviewed electronic health records of participants 6 months post randomization to ascertain outcome. We looked for one or both of the following (1) note in free text MD note documenting receipt of one form of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening during study period (2)lab results from fecal occult blood test, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy. Participants were categorized as completing CRC screening if there was a lab result or physician note located in chart during study period. If no note or lab result was found in chart, then the participant was categorized as not completing CRC screening.

Time frame: 6 months post randomization

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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