title: Text Reminders in Colorectal Cancer Screening (TRICCS): Protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening with the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt) is associated with improved colorectal cancer (CRC) survival, and is offered biennially to men and women aged 60-74 years in England's national Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP). Uptake of the gFOBt is low, with only 54 % of the eligible population completing the test. Text-message reminders could improve uptake of gFOBt.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper describes the protocol for a randomised controlled trial, which will examine the effectiveness of a text-message reminder to promote uptake of gFOBt screening in the BCSP. Individual mobile telephone data from 180 general practices in London with existing mobile-health services will be linked to the national BCSP information system via a secure on-line network. All screening-eligible adults registered with a participating practice will be randomised, to receive either usual care (N = 1600) or usual care plus a text-message reminder to self-complete and return their kit eight weeks after their initial invitation (N = 1600). The primary outcome will be the proportion of individuals who return an adequately completed gFOBt kit within 18 weeks of the initial invitation. Differences in uptake between groups will be evaluated using a logistic regression analysis, adjusting for individual-level and area-level socio-demographic variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This will be the first large-scale randomised trial of a text-message reminder in a national screening programme for CRC. If effective, this study provides a cost-effective means to promote uptake of CRC screening in an organised programme.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN70904476 (18/09/2015).
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirst
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kerrison
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
authors.forename: Lindsay C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre, Cancer Institute, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 4TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Counsell
authors.affiliation: Bowel Cancer Screening Hub - London, Northwick Park & St. Mark`s Hospitals, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3UJ, UK.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Djedovic
authors.affiliation: NHS England London Region, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT, UK.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruwende
authors.affiliation: Bowel Cancer Screening Hub - London, Northwick Park & St. Mark`s Hospitals, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3UJ, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK. c.wagner@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Wagner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040421:Cell Phone; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D017010:Reminder Systems; D013222:State Medicine; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
references.citation: Int J Med Inform. 2011 Dec;80(12):849-62
references.pmid: 22000677
references.citation: Int J Epidemiol. 2011 Jun;40(3):712-8
references.pmid: 21330344
references.citation: Gut. 2012 Oct;61(10):1439-46
references.pmid: 22156981
references.citation: PLoS Med. 2013;10(1):e1001363
references.pmid: 23458994
references.citation: Int J Med Inform. 2013 May;82(5):e73-86
references.pmid: 23146626
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2013;13:464
references.pmid: 23663511
references.citation: JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Aug;174(8):1235-41
references.pmid: 24934845
references.citation: Gut. 2015 Jan;64(1):121-32
references.pmid: 24647008
references.citation: Br J Cancer. 2015 Mar 17;112(6):1005-10
references.pmid: 25668008
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2009 Dec;99(12):2176-8
references.pmid: 19833982
references.citation: Diabetes Technol Ther. 2009 Feb;11(2):99-106
references.pmid: 19848576
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2008 Jul;35(1 Suppl):S34-55
references.pmid: 18541187
references.citation: CA Cancer J Clin. 2008 May-Jun;58(3):130-60
references.pmid: 18322143
references.citation: Int J STD AIDS. 2008 Jan;19(1):12-3
references.pmid: 18275639
references.citation: Lancet. 2016 Feb 20;387(10020):751-9
references.pmid: 26680217
references.citation: Gut. 2015 Jul;64(7):1158-77
references.pmid: 26059765
references.citation: Health Serv Res. 2012 Apr;47(2):614-32
references.pmid: 22091980