Open AccessA general practice–based recruitment strategy for colorectal cancer screening
Author(s) -
HARRIS MARGARET A,
BYLES JULIE E,
COCKBURN JILL,
D'ESTE CATHERINE
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-842x.2000.tb01609.x
Subject(s) - medicine , colorectal cancer , psychological intervention , colorectal cancer screening , family medicine , general practice , intervention (counseling) , population , public health , cancer , first degree relatives , gynecology , nursing , environmental health , colonoscopy , family history
Objective : To determine whether a screening recruitment strategy for first degree relatives of people with colorectal cancer is effective in enabling eligible relatives to request screening from their general practitioner (GP) and to assess acceptability to GPs and patients. Methods: Thirty GPs, from 26 practices, and 303 of their patients aged over 50 who were first degree relatives of a person with colorectal cancer, participated in a randomised controlled trial of a GP–based recruitment strategy, in the Newcastle Area of New South Wales, Australia. Results : The proportion of relatives requesting screening was statistically significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (18% compared to 4%, respectively; p=0.01). Conclusions : Interest in the study by GPs was low, however for GPs who were involved, the recruitment strategy did prompt first degree relatives to discuss screening. The strategy may be even more effective when combined with other interventions such as a media campaign. The results may be generalisable to feasibility studies of general population screening for colorectal cancer in Australia. Implications : The results of this work are potentially informative to public health practice in Australia given the ensuing pilot programs of colorectal cancer screening.