• Family practice · Dec 2024

    Using an SMS to improve bowel cancer screening: the acceptability and feasibility of a multifaceted intervention.

    • Jennifer G McIntosh, Anna Wood, Mark Jenkins, Shakira Onwuka, Patty Chondros, Tina Campbell, Edweana Wenkart, Clare O'Reilly, Ian Dixon, Julie Toner, Javiera Martinez Gutierrez, Linda Govan, and Jon D Emery.
    • Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Victoria 3153, Australia.
    • Fam Pract. 2024 Dec 20.

    BackgroundThe Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program sends an immunochemical faecal occult blood test to Australians aged 50-74 years to screen for bowel cancer, but uptake is low (40.9%). The SMARTscreen trial demonstrated that sending a short messaging services (SMS) prompt from the participant's general practitioner (GP) increased the proportion of kit returns by 16.5%. This research aimed to determine the acceptability and feasibility of implementing SMARTscreen.MethodSMARTscreen was a cluster randomized controlled trial set in 21 Australian general practices in regional Australia. Participants and general practice staff involved in the trial were included in this study. Acceptability and feasibility were measured quantitatively by calculating proportions of the SMS received, viewed, or opted out of, and qualitatively by interviewing people who sent and received the SMS.ResultsOf 2914 SMS sent, 2645 SMS (91%) were received by participants, 1128 (43%) people opened the weblink, and 59 (2%) people opted out of receiving future SMS. Interviews with general practice staff (n = 17) and participants (n = 18) found that sending and receiving the SMS was acceptable and feasible. The SMS was considered a low-burden activity that easily integrated into the clinic's workflow without impacting clinicians' time. Participants reported an increased intention to participate in screening, but some people worried the weblink was spam, and some suggested sending it out of working hours.ConclusionThe SMS-based intervention was widely accepted by GP staff and participants. Future research should test the SMS with and without the weblink, and send the SMS at a more convenient time of the day/week.© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.

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