Increasing colorectal cancer screening in an overdue population: participation and cost impacts of adding telephone calls to a FIT mailing program

Jennifer A Schlichting; Michelle A Mengeling; Nader M Makki; Ashish Malhotra; Thorvardur R Halfdanarson; J Stacey Klutts; Barcey T Levy; Peter J Kaboli; Mary E Charlton

doi:10.1007/s10900-014-9830-1

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Increasing colorectal cancer screening in an overdue population: participation and cost impacts of adding telephone calls to a FIT mailing program

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Increasing colorectal cancer screening in an overdue population: participation and cost impacts of adding telephone calls to a FIT mailing program

Jennifer A Schlichting, Michelle A Mengeling, Nader M Makki, Ashish Malhotra, Thorvardur R Halfdanarson, J Stacey Klutts, Barcey T Levy, Peter J Kaboli and Mary E Charlton

Journal of community health, Vol.39(2), pp.239-247

04/2014

DOI: 10.1007/s10900-014-9830-1

PMCID: PMC4267004

PMID: 24499966

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/4267004View

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Abstract

Many people who live in rural areas face distance barriers to colonoscopy. Our previous study demonstrated the utility of mailing fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) to average risk patients overdue for colorectal cancer (CRC screening). The aims of this study were to determine if introductory and reminder telephone calls would increase the proportion of returned FITs as well as to compare costs. Average risk patients overdue for CRC screening received a high intensity intervention (HII), which included an introductory telephone call to see if they were interested in taking a FIT prior to mailing the test out and reminder phone calls if the FIT was not returned. This HII group was compared to our previous low intensity intervention (LII) where a FIT was mailed to a similar group of veterans with no telephone contact. While a higher proportion of eligible respondents returned FITs in the LII (92 vs. 45 %), there was a much higher proportion of FITs returned out of those mailed in the HII (85 vs. 14 %). The fewer wasted FITs in the HII led to it having lower cost per FIT returned ($27.43 vs. $44.86). Given that either intervention is a feasible approach for patients overdue for CRC screening, health care providers should consider offering FITs using a home-based mailing program along with other evidence-based CRC screening options to average risk patients. Factors such as location, patient population, FIT cost and reimbursement, and personnel costs need to be considered when deciding the most effective way to implement FIT screening.

Postal Service

Early Detection of Cancer - methods

Telephone

Veterans

Humans

Middle Aged

Male

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnosis

Socioeconomic Factors

Feces - chemistry

Motivation

Patient Acceptance of Health Care

Rural Population

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Female

Aged

Details

Title: Subtitle: Increasing colorectal cancer screening in an overdue population: participation and cost impacts of adding telephone calls to a FIT mailing program
Creators: Jennifer A Schlichting - VA Office of Rural Health, Rural Health Resource Center - Central Region, Iowa City VA Healthcare System, 601 Hwy 6 West, Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA
Michelle A Mengeling
Nader M Makki
Ashish Malhotra
Thorvardur R Halfdanarson
J Stacey Klutts
Barcey T Levy
Peter J Kaboli
Mary E Charlton
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of community health, Vol.39(2), pp.239-247
DOI: 10.1007/s10900-014-9830-1
PMID: 24499966
PMCID: PMC4267004
NLM abbreviation: J Community Health
ISSN: 0094-5145
eISSN: 1573-3610
Publisher: Netherlands
Grant note: P30 CA086862 / NCI NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 04/2014
Academic Unit: Health Management and Policy; Epidemiology; Pathology; Family and Community Medicine; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9983995013502771

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