Editorial: Financial Incentives to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening: Does it Make Cents?
While colorectal cancer screening reduces colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, there is much room for improvement in screening adherence particularly among the uninsured and ethnic minorities. In this issue, Gupta et al. conducted a randomized controlled study to test the impact of a small financial incentive on screening adherence. Their negative study, taken in the context of prior studies and behavioral economics literature, leads us to conclude that it does not pay to add this small financial incentive to community outreach. Instead, we should invest in a systematic approach to screening, including patient navigation.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA.
Jeffrey
J
Adler
VA Puget Sound Health Care System University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Jason A
JA
Dominitz
D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D012107:Research Design