Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33022321›Full record

Trial reportPreventive medicine2020

Use of a GP-endorsed non-participant reminder letter to promote uptake of bowel scope screening: A randomised controlled trial in a hard-to-reach population.

Aradhna Kaushal, Yasemin Hirst, Sara Tookey, Robert S Kerrison, Sarah Marshall, Andrew Prentice, Daniel Vulkan, Stephen Duffy, Christian von Wagner

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Preventive medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Aradhna KaushalResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK. Electronic address: aradhna.kaushal.14@ucl.ac.uk.
Yasemin HirstResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Sara TookeyResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Robert S KerrisonResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Sarah MarshallSt Mark's Bowel Cancer Screening Centre, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.
Andrew PrenticeSt Mark's Bowel Cancer Screening Centre, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.
Daniel VulkanPolicy Research Unit in Cancer Awareness, Screening and Early Diagnosis, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Stephen DuffyPolicy Research Unit in Cancer Awareness, Screening and Early Diagnosis, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Christian von WagnerResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

Department of Health PR-PRU-1217-21601
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Previous research suggests that sending non-participants a reminder letter, 1 year after their initial invitation, can improve coverage for bowel scope screening (BSS), also known as flexible sigmoidoscopy screening. We hypothesised that adding a general practitioner's (GPs) endorsement to the reminder letter could improve coverage even further. We conducted a randomised controlled trial in North West London, UK. Participants were screening-eligible men and women who had not responded to their initial BSS invitation at least 12 months prior to the trial period. Eligible adults were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a GP-endorsed reminder letter, or a standard reminder letter from June to August 2019. Logistic regression models were used to test the effect of the GP endorsement on attendance at BSS, adjusting for sex, clinical commissioning group, and local area socioeconomic deprivation. In total, 1200 participants were enrolled into the study and randomised to either the control (n = 600) or the intervention (n = 600) group. Those who received the GP-endorsed reminder letter were only slightly more likely to attend BSS than those who received the standard reminder letter (4% vs. 3%); this difference was not statistically significant (Adjusted OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 0.69, 2.43). Adding a GP-endorsement to the annual reminder letter did not have an effect on attendance at BSS. One possible explanation for this is that the endorsement used was not personalised enough. Future research should examine stronger GP-endorsements or other methods to promote uptake.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsEarly Detection of CancerAdultFemaleHumansLondonMaleMass ScreeningReminder SystemsSigmoidoscopyCancer screeningColon cancerEarly detection of cancerEarly diagnosis of cancer

Identifiers

PMID33022321
PMCPMC7732700

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Registered trials

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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.