Financial Incentives to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening in Priority Populations

Kaiser Permanente

Status: Completed

Conditions: Colorectal Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Auto Mailing Plus Lottery; Behavioral: Auto Mailing Plus Money

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03080701

4RO1CA121125-09 REVISED

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators propose to build on the success of the Systems of Support to Increase Colorectal Cancer trial (SOS, R01CA121125, Green) and focus on disparity groups who are less likely to be current for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We will test whether financial incentives increases screening uptake and decreases screening disparities. The investigators hypothesize that CRC screening rates will be higher in patients offered mailed fecal kits and financial incentives than those offered mailed fecal kits alone.

Full description

Study staff will send invitation letters and a questionnaire to 5,000 patients aged 50-75 not current for CRC screening, two-thirds who are identified in the electronic data as being from a non-White race, ethnicity, or who have Medicaid coverage. Those returning the survey and remaining eligible (estimated N = 1150) will be randomized to either (1) Mailed fecal kit only, or mailed fecal kit plus one of 2 types of financial incentives for completing testing: (2) a guaranteed Monetary incentive or (3) a probabilistic Lottery incentive.

Enrollment: 898 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• No evidence in electronic data of FIT screening in past year or a colonoscopy in the prior 9 years.
• Continuously enrolled in Group Health Cooperative (GHC) for at least one year.
• Patients who have Medicaid coverage or are non-white race or Hispanic any race.

Exclusion criteria

• Known high risk for CRC
• History of CRC
• History of inflammatory bowel disease
• Current anticoagulation therapy
• Organ failure
• Serious illness
• Debilitating disease
• Dementia
• Nursing home resident

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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898 participants in 3 patient groups

Group 1 - Automated Mailing

No Intervention group

Description:

The mailing process will be identical to those used in the SOS study. Mailing 1 includes an introductory letter on CRC screening and a pamphlet on CRC testing choices (colonoscopy every 10 years, FIT testing yearly, or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years combined with interval FIT testing), and pros and cons of each. The letter will state that they will soon be receiving a FIT kit in the mail, and a number to call if they prefer another option. Mailing 2 includes a brief letter reaffirming the importance of screening, a FIT kit (the one used by Group Health), pictograph instructions, and a postage-paid return envelope. Mailing 3 a reminder letter, is sent to participants not completing the FIT kit after 3 weeks. The intervention for Group 1 includes no incentive.

Group 2 - Auto Mailing Plus Money

Experimental group

Description:

Receives the same number of mailings and materials as group 1 with the following modifications. In Mailing 1 the letter will include the intervention notification that they will receive a monetary thank you gift for completing testing (FIT colonoscopy or flex sig within 6 months). Mailing 2 and mailing 3 (reminder letters for those still not returning kits) will include the same information about the monetary thank you gift for CRC screening completion. Mailing 4 will include the money with a thank you letter for those who complete the screening

Treatment:

Behavioral: Auto Mailing Plus Money

Group 3 - Auto Mailing Plus Lottery

Experimental group

Description:

Receives the same number of mailings and materials as group 1 with the following modifications. In Mailing 1 the letter will include the intervention notification that they will have a 1 in 10 chance of winning money (FIT, colonoscopy or flex sig within 6 months). Mailing 2 and mailing 3 (reminder letters for those still not returning kits) will include the same information about the 1 in 10 chance of winning the lottery for CRC screening completion. Mailing 4 will include a thank you letter with money for those who complete their screening and win the lottery. Participants who do not win the lottery will receive a thank you letter.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Auto Mailing Plus Lottery