A general practice-based recruitment strategy for colorectal cancer screening.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a screening recruitment strategy for first degree relatives of people with colorectal cancer is effective in enabling eligible relatives to request screening from their general practitioner (GP) and to assess acceptability to GPs and patients.


METHODS
Thirty GPs, from 26 practices, and 303 of their patients aged over 50 who were first degree relatives of a person with colorectal cancer, participated in a randomised controlled trial of a GP-based recruitment strategy, in the Newcastle Area of New South Wales, Australia.


RESULTS
The proportion of relatives requesting screening was statistically significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (18% compared to 4%, respectively; p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Interest in the study by GPs was low, however for GPs who were involved, the recruitment strategy did prompt first degree relatives to discuss screening. The strategy may be even more effective when combined with other interventions such as a media campaign. The results may be generalizable to feasibility studies of general population screening for colorectal cancer in Australia.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this work are potentially informative to public health practice in Australia given the ensuing pilot programs of colorectal cancer screening.
Harris
M A
MA
Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, New South Wales. mharris@cceb.newcastle.edu.au
Byles
J E
JE
Cockburn
J
J
D'Este
C
C
D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010174:Pamphlets