A Randomized Trial of Letters From Family Physicians to Encourage Screening Mammography in Overdue Women

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Breast Cancer
• Interventions: Other: Standard Reminder Postcard; Other: Family Physician Reminder Letter

• Registration Number: NCT02660788
• Lead Sponsor: British Columbia Cancer Agency

Brief Summary

A randomized, double-blinded study conducted in British Columbia, Canada, where there is a publicly funded, organized screening program and screening mammography is recommended at 24-month intervals. Eligible women aged 51-73 years old and overdue for their screening mammogram by 6-24 months are identified in the database of the Screening Mammography Program of BC (SMPBC). Family physicians are recruited by mail and asked to sign letters to the overdue women in their practices. The overdue women are randomized and mailed either the signed reminder letter and the standard reminder postcard, or the standard reminder postcard alone. The primary endpoint is the proportion of overdue women attending a screening mammogram appointment 6 months after the mailing.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2013-02
• Primary Completion: 2013-12
• Study Completion: 2015-12
• Study First Submitted: 2016-01-18
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-01-20
• Study First Posted: 2016-01-21
• Results First Submitted: 2020-08-21
• Status Verified: 2021-09
• Results First Submitted QC: 2021-09-01
• Results First Posted: 2021-09-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-09-02
• Last Update Posted: 2021-09-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 5498

Inclusion Criteria

Active family physicians (family physicians, general practitioners or primary care physicians) who have overdue women in their practice that meet the following criteria:

• Previously been enrolled in the SMPBC and had a previous normal screening mammogram.
• Have agreed to being contacted for research on the SMPBC questionnaire
• Are 6-24 months overdue from their last screening mammogram
• Live in BC
• Have listed an active family physician as the contact to receive their mammography results

Exclusion Criteria

• Family physicians who do not work in primary care
• Family physicians who do not have overdue women in their practice

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Family Physician Reminder Letter Arm	Family Physician Reminder Letter	Mail
Control Arm	Standard Reminder Postcard	Mail
Family Physician Reminder Letter Arm	Standard Reminder Postcard	Mail

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Percentage of Overdue Women Returning for Screening Mammography	6 months	Percentage of overdue women returning for screening mammography, measured from the date of randomization

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

BC Cancer Agency; 🇨🇦 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada