Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36912762›Full record

ArticleThe Australian journal of rural health2023

The 'hot zone policy' for colorectal cancer screening presents unique risks and opportunities for rural Australia.

Joachim Worthington, Jie-Bin Lew, Emily He, Kate Broun, Katina D'Onise, Paul Grogan, Karen Canfell, Eleonora Feletto

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Australian journal of rural health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Geographical Disparities in Faecal Immunochemical Test-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Participation and Positivity Rates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. 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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Joachim WorthingtonThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8830-0520
Jie-Bin LewThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Emily HeThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Kate BrounCancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Katina D'OniseSchool of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Paul GroganThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Karen CanfellThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Eleonora FelettoThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The University of Sydney · AUCancer Council Victoria · AUGovernment of South Australia · AU

Funding

Australian Government fundingEF receives NHMRC grant funding to investigate improving participation in the NBCSP (APP2014964).JBL's research is funded by an NHMRC Investigator grant (APP1194784)KC's research is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (Fellowship APP1194679, Centre for Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control 1135172).
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveColorectal cancer has geographic inequities in Australia, with higher mortality rates and lower participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) in remote and rural areas. The at-home kit is temperature-sensitive, necessitating a 'hot zone policy' (HZP); kits are not sent when an area's average monthly temperature is above 30°C. Australians in HZP areas are susceptible to potential screening disruptions but may benefit from well-timed interventions to improve participation. This study describes the demographics of HZP areas and estimates the impacts of potential screening changes.

methodsThe number of individuals in HZP areas was estimated, as well as correlations with remoteness, socio-economic and Indigenous status. The potential impacts of screening changes were estimated.

resultsOver a million eligible Australians live in HZP areas, which are more likely to be remote/rural, have lower socio-economic status and higher Indigenous populations. Predictive modelling estimates that any 3-month screening disruption would increase CRC mortality rates up to 4.1 times more in HZP areas vs unaffected areas, while targeted intervention could decrease mortality rates 3.4 times more in HZP areas.

conclusionPeople living in affected areas would be negatively impacted by any NBCSP disruption, compounding existing inequities. However, well-timed health promotion could have a stronger impact.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsEarly Detection of CancerAustraliaEnvironmentHealth PromotionHumansMass Screeningmodels of rural service deliveryoncologypolicypublic healthremote health delivery

Identifiers

PMID36912762
PMCPMC10947086
OpenAlexW4324020994

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.