Trial reportArchives of internal medicine2011
Electronic patient messages to promote colorectal cancer screening: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in Archives of internal medicine, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01032746 (Use of a Personal Health Record to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening), which is not on this map. Cited by 55 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Use of a Personal Health Record to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening
Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.
- Personalizing cancer risk: a systematic review of risk communication strategies.Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Adult patient access to electronic health records.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluation of Interventions Intended to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA internal medicine · 2018Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- The impact of health information technology on cancer care across the continuum: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2016Pooled it
- Personalised risk communication for informed decision making about taking screening tests.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- The effects of on-screen, point of care computer reminders on processes and outcomes of care.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2009Pooled it
- Targeted Electronic Patient Portal Messaging Increases Hepatitis C Virus Screening in Primary Care: a Randomized Study.Journal of general internal medicine · 2022Trial
- Colorectal cancer lifetime risk accuracy and behavior change intentions before and after risk assessment.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2021Trial
- Electronic Health Record Portal Messages and Interactive Voice Response Calls to Improve Rates of Early Season Influenza Vaccination: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Trial
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Opt-in Versus Opt-Out Colorectal Cancer Screening Outreach.The American journal of gastroenterology · 2018Trial
- Harnessing the Question-Behavior Effect to Enhance Colorectal Cancer Screening in an mHealth Experiment.American journal of public health · 2016Trial
- A Randomized Trial of Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling as an Intervention to Promote Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women With HIV.Journal of lower genital tract disease · 2016Trial
- Get screened: a randomized trial of the incremental benefits of reminders, recall, and outreach on cancer screening.Journal of general internal medicine · 2014Trial
- Aid-assisted decision making and colorectal cancer screening: a randomized controlled trial.American journal of preventive medicine · 2012Trial
- Patient activation increases colorectal cancer screening rates: a randomized trial among low-income minority patients.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2012Trial
- A scoping review of studies on secure messaging through patient portals: persistent challenges and potential solutions.npj health systems · 2026Article
- Longitudinal quality improvement project to increase colorectal cancer screening for an underserved population in a resident physician-led primary care clinic.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundColorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality, yet effective screening tests are often underused. Electronic patient messages and personalized risk assessments delivered via an electronic personal health record could increase screening rates.
methodsWe conducted a randomized controlled trial in 14 ambulatory health centers involving 1103 patients ranging in age from 50 to 75 years with an active electronic personal health record who were overdue for colorectal cancer screening. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a single electronic message highlighting overdue screening status with a link to a Web-based tool to assess their personal risk of colorectal cancer. The outcomes included colorectal cancer screening rates at 1 and 4 months.
resultsScreening rates were higher at 1 month for patients who received electronic messages than for those who did not (8.3% vs 0.2%, P < .001), but this difference was no longer significant at 4 months (15.8% vs 13.1%, P = .18). Of 552 patients randomized to receive the intervention, 296 (54%) viewed the message, and 47 (9%) used the Web-based risk assessment tool. Among 296 intervention patients who viewed the electronic message, risk tool users were more likely than nonusers to request screening examinations (17% vs 4%, P = .04) and to be screened (30% vs 15%, P = .06). One-fifth of patients (19%) using the risk assessment tool were estimated to have an above-average risk for colorectal cancer.
conclusionElectronic messages to patients produce an initial increase in colorectal cancer screening rates, but this effect is not sustained over time.
trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01032746.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.