Facilitating Risk-Appropriate Colorectal Cancer Testing - Testing the Cancer Risk Intake System (CRIS)

Overview

This study will adapt and test a touch-screen computer program to evaluate cancer risk and provide patient-tailored recommendations for appropriate risk-based testing. This individually tailored intervention delivered right at the point of primary care and just prior to the office visit, can be a helpful and non-obstructive adjunct to clinical care. The primary aim of this project is to test whether a tailored intervention promoting risk-appropriate cancer testing results increases participation compared with a simple non-tailored reminder or no reminder. The trial is designed to determine the extent to which the Cancer Risk Intake System (CRIS) facilitates (1) participation in risk-appropriate colorectal cancer testing, as documented by electronic medical record audit; (2) patient receipt of risk-appropriate colorectal cancer testing recommendations from their physicians, as documented by electronic medical record audit; and (3) changes in patients' intent to participate in risk-appropriate colorectal cancer testing, as documented by patient report. The Family and Community Medicine and General Internal Medicine clinic databases will be used to identify potentially eligible patients with upcoming scheduled appointments. Because physicians will be the unit of random assignment, patients will be coded before study invitation as potential participants in the intervention or the comparison group. A random sample of eligible intervention and comparison group patients will be selected for contact. Identified patients will be mailed letters from the practices and signed by their physicians requesting their participation. The letters will describe a "study of beliefs and practices about cancer prevention and early detection" and will provide a toll-free number to refuse contact. One week after the mailing, patients who have not called to refuse contact will be called by study staff to explain the study, verify eligibility and, if the patient agrees, to arrange an in-person meeting at the clinic 30 minutes prior to their appointment. These calls will be made by trained research assistants who will follow standard calling protocols. After consent, participants will complete the computerized data collection (CRIS) immediately prior to a scheduled primary-care appointment. Intervention group patients and their physicians will receive a printout recommending risk-appropriate colorectal testing and ways to overcome perceived barriers to testing. A member of the research team will hand the patient his or her printout and will deliver the other printout to the physician. Comparison group patients and physicians will receive non-tailored printouts that are simple reminders about testing. The investigators will also establish a true no-contact control by conducting a retrospective chart review for randomly selected patients who did not receive an invitation to participate in the study. This no-contact control will establish a baseline screening rate. The investigators will then conduct analysis with the comparison and intervention group to see if individuals who participate in CRIS have a higher screening rate for colorectal cancer compared to the non-contact group. These additional data will help us better assess study Aims 1 and 2.