title: A pilot randomized controlled trial of telephone intervention to increase Breast Cancer Screening uptake in socially deprived areas in Scotland (TELBRECS).
abstract: To determine whether a brief telephone support intervention could increase breast cancer screening uptake among lower socio-demographic women in Scotland, via eliciting and addressing barriers to screening attendance.
  
  
  
  In a pilot randomized controlled trial, participants receiving a reminder letter for a missed screening appointment (February-June 2014) were randomized to four arms: No telephone call (control), Simple telephone reminder (TEL), Telephone support (TEL-SUPP), or Telephone support plus anticipated regret (TEL-SUPP-AR). Primary outcomes were making an appointment and attending breast screening.
  
  
  
  Of 856 women randomized and analysed on intention-to-treat basis, compared with controls, more women in the telephone intervention groups made an appointment (control: 8.8%, TEL: 20.3%, TEL-SUPP: 14.1%; TEL-SUPP-AR: 16.8%, χ(2)(3) = 12.0, p = .007) and attended breast screening (control: 6.9%, TEL: 16.5%, TEL-SUPP: 11.3%; TEL-SUPP-AR: 13.1%, χ(2)(3) = 9.8, p = .020). Of 559 women randomized to the three telephone groups, 404 were successfully contacted and 247 participated in the intervention. Intervention participants (ie. per protocol analysis) were more likely to make (17% versus 10%, χ(2)(1) = 7.0, p = .008) and attend (13% versus 7%, χ(2)(1) = 5.5, p = .019) an appointment than non-participants, but there were no differences in attendance between the three telephone groups.
  
  
  
  A simple telephone reminder doubled attendance at breast screening in women from lower socio-demographic areas who had not attended their initial appointment, compared with a reminder letter only (odds ratio 2.12, 95% CI (1.2, 3.8)). However, contacting women proved problematic and there was no additional effect of telephone support or anticipated regret.
authors.affiliation: Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, Stirling University, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK j.a.chambers@stir.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.affiliation: Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, Stirling University, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gracie
authors.affiliation: Directorate of Public Health, Tayside NHS Board, Kings Cross, Clepington Rd, Dundee DD3 8EA, UK.
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.affiliation: Directorate of Public Health, Tayside NHS Board, Kings Cross, Clepington Rd, Dundee DD3 8EA, UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.affiliation: East of Scotland Breast Screening Service, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Archibald
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, Stirling University, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
authors.forename: Ronan E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: O'Carroll
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017010:Reminder Systems; D012606:Scotland; D013222:State Medicine; D013689:Telephone
keywords: Anticipated Regret; Breast cancer; barriers to breast screening; screening; telephone reminder