SMARTERScreen: A Randomised Controlled Trial based on evidence from SMARTScreen utilising SMS messages to prompt patients overdue with bowel cancer screening
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Trial Coordinator
Ms Anna Wood,
Project Details
Australia has one of the highest rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the world. In 40% of CRC cases, diagnoses are made in the later stages leading to a poorer prognosis. Increasing the uptake of Australian’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) is the most effective way to detect signs of precancerous and early cancer when it can be treated effectively to reduce cancer deaths and heath care costs. Screening uptake is lowest in younger age groups and the study will target 49–60-year-old patients.
Building on evidence from the SMARTscreen pilot, the SMARTERscreen trial will involve co-designing two SMS interventions (an ‘SMS only’ and an ‘SMS bundle’). The SMS only will include a personalised message with an endorsement from the patient’s general practice, and the SMS bundle will be the same but with an additional weblink containing to motivational and instructional videos about the NBCSP. General practices will be randomised to one of three groups: the control group (no SMS), SMS only group, or the SMS bundle group. Patients will be eligible if they are aged between 49 and 60 years old and are due for their NBCSP kit. We will compare the NBCSP participation between the three groups to measure the effectiveness of the different interventions on screening uptake. We will explore SMS use by patients and conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis to inform the economic efficiencies and scalability of sending SMS to patients in a nationwide program.
Researchers
Professor Mark Jenkins, Project Lead, Director of the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
Professor Jon Emery, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Jennifer McIntosh, The Centre of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, and the Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Patty Chondros, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
Anna Wood, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
Dr Judy Trevena, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
Dr Belinda Goodwin, Cancer Council Queensland
Tamara Jolley, Cancer Council Queensland
Professor Carlene Wilson, Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne
Dr Jie-Bin Lew, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney
Professor Shanton Chang, School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne
Professor Jane Hocking, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Melbourne
Dr Claire Nightingale, Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne
Collaborators
Dr. Belinda Goodwin, Cancer Council Queensland
Professor Finley Macrae, Melbourne Health, and The University of Melbourne
Dr. Tina Campbell, Healthily Pty Ltd
Dr. Jie-Bin Lew, University of Sydney
Ms. Kate Broun, Cancer Council Victoria
Ms. Sally Doncovio, Department of Health Victoria
Mr. Glenn Austin, Queensland Health
Dr. Joyce Jiang, Multicultural Centre for Woman’s Health
Mr. Ian Dixon, Consumer Advocate
Mrs. Makala Castelli, Consumer Advocate
Mr. Nicholas Lee, Jodi Lee Foundation
Funding
This trial is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Research Outcomes
This trial will test the effectiveness of sending an SMS or SMS ‘bundle’ to general practice patients on bowel cancer screening uptake. The research will evaluate the potential health cost savings and potential lives saved if this intervention were implemented nationwide.