title: Analysis of the benefits and costs of a national campaign to promote colorectal cancer screening: CDC's screen for life-national colorectal cancer action campaign.
abstract: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign (SFL) is one of the longest running national multimedia campaigns to promote colorectal cancer screening. Since its inception in 1999, no study has quantified the benefits and costs of SFL. We modeled the impact of SFL campaign on screening rates, assuming that the effect size would range from 0.5% to 10% of the unscreened population exposed to the campaign in the last 14 years. Given the estimated benefits of the campaign and costs, we calculated the cost per person screened (2012 dollars). We hypothesize that if 0.5% of the population exposed to campaign messages were screened for colorectal cancer, an additional 251,000 previously unscreened individuals would be screened. The average cost of SFL per person screened would be $2.44. On the other hand, if 10% of the population exposed to campaign messages were screened, an additional 5.01 million individuals would be screened. The average cost per person screened would be $0.12. Results indicate that SFL improves screening rates at a relatively low cost per person screened. The findings in this study provide an important starting point and benchmark for future research efforts to determine the benefits and costs of health communication campaigns to promote cancer prevention.
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA dce3@cdc.gov.
authors: Donatus U
authors: DU
authors: Ekwueme
authors: Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: David H
authors: DH
authors: Howard
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Cynthia A
authors: CA
authors: Gelb
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Sun Hee
authors: SH
authors: Rim
authors: Soltera Center for Cancer Prevention and Control, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors: Crystale P
authors: CP
authors: Cooper
mesh_terms: D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019212:Multimedia; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States
keywords: benefits; cancer prevention and control; colorectal cancer; costs; health communication; health promotion; mass media