Telephone outreach to increase colorectal cancer screening in an urban minority population.
OBJECTIVE
We compared the effectiveness of a telephone outreach approach versus a direct mail approach in improving rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in a predominantly Black population.


METHODS
A randomized trial was conducted between 2000 and 2003 that followed 456 participants in the New York metropolitan area who had not had recent CRC screening. The intervention group received tailored telephone outreach, and the control group received mailed printed materials. The primary outcome was medically documented CRC screening 6 months or less after randomization.


RESULTS
CRC screening was documented in 61 of 226 (27.0%) intervention participants and in 14 of 230 (6.1%) controls (prevalence rate difference=20.9%; 95% CI = 14.34, 27.46). Compared with the control group, the intervention group was 4.4 times more likely to receive CRC screening within 6 months of randomization.


CONCLUSIONS
Tailored telephone outreach can increase CRC screening in an urban minority population.
Basch
Charles E
CE
Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA. ceb35@columbia.edu
Wolf
Randi L
RL
Brouse
Corey H
CH
Shmukler
Celia
C
Neugut
Alfred
A
DeCarlo
Lawrence T
LT
Shea
Steven
S
D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D009519:New York City; D009780:Occult Blood; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D011177:Postal Service / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013689:Telephone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*