Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42731841›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2026

Behaviourally informed text message reminders to increase cervical screening attendance in people with severe mental illness: the OPTIMISE pilot randomised controlled trial.

Beth Nichol, Andrew Bryant, Lesley Hall, Christian von Wagner, Elizabeth Barley, Aikaterini Grimani, Emily Oliver, David Osborn, Luke Vale, Ivo Vlaev and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 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

11 authors.

Beth NicholNIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK beth.nichol@newcastle.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7642-1448
Andrew BryantNewcastle University Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Lesley HallNIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Christian von WagnerBehavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7971-0691
Elizabeth BarleySchool of Health Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Aikaterini GrimaniNIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2076-6199
Emily OliverNIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
David OsbornDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
Luke ValeNIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8574-8429
Ivo VlaevNIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2458-3543
Fiona GrahamNIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5828-0955

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis study assessed the feasibility of both the delivery and evaluation of 'enhanced' (behaviourally informed) text message reminders containing links to existing co-designed resources supporting decision-making for people with severe mental illness (SMI) regarding attendance of cervical screening.

designA pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT).

setting13 General Practice (GP) practices in London were recruited.

participantsGP practices identified people with SMI aged 24-64 years who were overdue cervical screening. Target sample size was 120 participants (60 per arm) based on existing guidance for pilot trials.

interventionIn March 2025, participants were randomised (1:1) to receive either the enhanced (intervention) or the standard (control) SMS reminder. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: 18 weeks later, feasibility outcomes were collected (primary outcomes) and data analysis for a definitive RCT was rehearsed (secondary outcome).

resultsOf the 150 participants across 13 GP practices that were randomised (n=75 per arm), 132 (88%) texts delivered (intervention n=64/75 (85%), control n=68/75 (91%)). 10 practices (76.9%) provided follow-up data for 102 participants (intervention n=50, control n=52). Five participants (intervention n=4, control n=1) attended screening within the trial period. Participant survey response rate was low (9/132 (7%), intervention n=5, control n=4). Both SMS messages were low cost, with the intervention SMS a 50% higher cost to deliver (7.5p vs 5p per SMS). Primary feasibility measures of recruitment rate of GP practices (27%), retention of GP practices (77%) and participants (100%), SMS delivery (88%) and data completeness (64%) indicated viability, although survey response rate (7%) did not.

conclusionsAchieving adequate recruitment and retention, data completeness and comparable groups is viable with some amendments, although an alternative method is required to assess fidelity. Behaviourally informed SMS reminders are feasible to deliver to people with SMI, although it is uncertain if the extra resources are accessed and used. With changes to data collection, a definitive trial could be feasible. Given the low observed cervical screening attendance, additional intervention is needed for this group. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN12558681.

Indexed as

Early Detection of CancerMass ScreeningMental DisordersReminder SystemsText MessagingUterine Cervical NeoplasmsAdherence InterventionsAdultFeasibility StudiesFemaleGeneral PracticeHumansLondonMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsYoung AdultBehaviorMENTAL HEALTHPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID42731841
PMCPMC13583816

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.