Observational studyJournal of general internal medicine2021
A Patient Portal-Based Commitment Device to Improve Adherence with Screening for Colorectal Cancer: a Retrospective Observational Study.
Observational study in Journal of general internal medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- How and Under What Conditions Do Patient Portals Improve Cancer Screening Completion: A Scoping Review.AJPM focus · 2026Review
- Optimizing Digital Health Tools for Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake in Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers: Insights From the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and Technology Acceptance Model.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Advancing cancer care through digital access in the USA: a state-of-the-art review of patient portals in oncology.BMJ oncology · 2025Review
- Effects of a Patient Portal Intervention to Address Diabetes Care Gaps: Protocol for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Empowering patients to address diabetes care gaps: formative usability testing of a novel patient portal intervention.JAMIA open · 2023Article
- Antecedents of patient health engagement in the radiotherapy service (evidence from Indonesia).Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2023Article
- Cancer Screening Among Rural and Urban Clinics During COVID-19: A Multistate Qualitative Study.JCO oncology practice · 2022Article
- National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in Lithuania: Description of the 5-Year Performance on Population Level.Cancers · 2021Article
- Digital engagement and the efficacy of patient portal-based preventive care interventions.Digital healthArticle
- Pilot study of a patient portal intervention designed to empower patients to address diabetes care gaps.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite significant investment in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, 40% of US adults are not up-to-date. Commitment devices, which are psychologically tailored approaches to enforce health goals, may be an effective method to increase CRC screening.
objectiveCompare the effectiveness of a commitment device (patient self-ordering fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits) to standard CRC screening outreach.
designA retrospective observational study.
participantsParticipants were > 49 years and < 75 years, had no history of CRC, and were eligible for CRC screening.
interventionAn electronic screening reminder with an embedded order button allowed participants to order FIT kits directly from a patient portal. Those who used the order button were promptly sent a kit; those who did not were later mailed kits. MAIN MEASURES: Primary outcome was completion of FIT kits. Secondary outcomes included number of days to completion, completion of follow-up for positive results, and CRC diagnosis; we also examined prior use of FIT kit. We used inverse probability of treatment weights to control for pretreatment imbalances. KEY
resultsThe cohort comprised 176,231 participants: 53% female; median age was 59; 11% were Asian, 21% Hispanic/Latino, 7% black, 51% White, 3% other/mixed race. Approximately 10% (N = 16,918) used the button. Using inverse probability of treatment weights, we found that those who used the button had 3.8 times the odds of completing a kit compared to participants who did not (odds ratio, 3.77; 95% confidence interval, 3.57-3.98). Within the button group, 63% of those eligible completed a FIT kit in the year prior to the button compared to 87% in the year after the button became available (p < 0.0001).
conclusionThe ability to self-order screening kits may act as a commitment device that increases CRC screening. Scalable tools leveraging existing patient portals such as this can complement existing CRC outreach strategies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.