A pilot randomized controlled trial of telephone intervention to increase Breast Cancer Screening uptake in socially deprived areas in Scotland (TELBRECS)

Citation

Chambers J, Gracie K, Millar R, Cavanagh J, Archibald D, Cook A & O'Carroll R (2016) A pilot randomized controlled trial of telephone intervention to increase Breast Cancer Screening uptake in socially deprived areas in Scotland (TELBRECS). Journal of Medical Screening, 23 (3), pp. 141-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969141315608212

Abstract
Objectives: 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.  Methods: 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.  Results: 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%, χ2(3) = 12.0, p = .007) and attended breast screening (control: 6.9%, TEL: 16.5%, TEL-SUPP: 11.3%; TEL-SUPP-AR: 13.1%, χ2(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%, χ2(1) = 7.0, p = .008) and attend (13% versus 7%, χ2(1) = 5.5, p = .019) an appointment than non-participants, but there were no differences in attendance between the three telephone groups.  Conclusions: 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.

Keywords
Breast cancer; screening; Anticipated Regret; telephone reminder; barriers to breast screening

Journal
Journal of Medical Screening: Volume 23, Issue 3

People

Dr Julie Chambers

Honorary Research Fellow, Psychology

Professor Ronan O'Carroll

Professor, Psychology