Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41857651›Full record

ArticleTrials2026

Testing interventions to increase participation in the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program among persistent never-screeners: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Jennifer G McIntosh, Belinda Goodwin, Driss Ait Ouakrim, Katelyn Collins, Carlene Wilson, Nancy N Baxter, Joyce Jiang, Robert K Mahar, Louisa Flander, Jon D Emery and 8 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

18 authors.

Jennifer G McIntoshCentre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. jennifer.mcintosh@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6655-0940
Belinda GoodwinCancer Council Queensland, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia.
Driss Ait OuakrimCentre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Katelyn CollinsCancer Council Queensland, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia.
Carlene WilsonCentre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Nancy N BaxterUniversity of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Joyce JiangCentre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Robert K MaharClinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.
Louisa FlanderCentre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Jon D EmeryDepartment of General Practice and Primary Care, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Shanton ChangThe School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Natalie TaylorSchool of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Eleonora FelettoSydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Jie-Bin LewSydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Karen CanfellSydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Finlay MacraeMelbourne Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Harry GreenwellAustralian Centre for Evaluation, Australian Department of the Treasury, Canberra, Australia.
Mark JenkinsCentre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council ID: 2010268
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBowel cancer screening using faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) can detect early signs of bowel cancer and pre-cancerous adenoma. Early detection enables early diagnosis and treatment thereby reducing associated morbidity and mortality from bowel cancer. The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) in Australia mails free FIT kits to eligible people aged 50-74 every 2 years; currently, only 42% of people return their kits. People aged 45-49 are eligible but need to request their kit, and as this has been recently introduced, participation data are not yet available. Many people never participate despite multiple invitations; 'persistent never screeners' are defined as people who have received at least three NBCSP kits but never returned any. This trial aims to increase screening participation among persistent never screeners by modifying invitation materials.

methodsEligible participants (persistent never screeners due for pre-invitation letters) will be randomly assigned to one of three trial arms over a 5-week enrolment period and followed up for 6 months. The trial will compare kit return between two intervention arms and a control arm to determine effectiveness. TRIAL

participantsIndividuals who are defined as persistent never screeners are eligible for the NBCSP and are due for a pre-invitation letter during the trial period.

interventions1. A modified pre-invitation letter will be sent identifying that they have not yet screened with the program and that they are not up to date with their screening. It will highlight that they are at increased risk of bowel cancer and provide a QR code and weblink to a site that allows them to order a NBCSP kit. 2. A kit with revised invitation materials, including: a modified letter highlighting increased risk from not completing previous kits, a QR code linking to information addressing common screening barriers, and a modified outer envelope removing bowel cancer information from the front and adding 'Important information about your health inside' in seven languages. CONTROL: Standard NBCSP pre-invitation, invitation material and kit. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide evidence on whether modified invitation and pre-invitation materials can improve screening participation among persistent never-screeners, a consistently hard-to-reach subgroup in cancer screening programs globally.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsEarly Detection of CancerOccult BloodAgedAustraliaCorrespondence as TopicHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMiddle AgedPredictive Value of TestsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTime FactorsAustralian National Bowel Cancer Screening ProgramBehaviour changeBowel cancer screeningColorectal cancer screening

Identifiers

PMID41857651
PMCPMC13126689

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.