Impact of an Implementation Intention Planning Guide on Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT) Completion Rates
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Summary
Fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) are a primary method of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC). Implementation intention planning involves encouraging completion or eliminating barriers for the participant to make a plan to complete a behavior or activity. This randomized control study seeks to answer whether the addition of an implementation intention guide impacts behaviors when completing FIT screening. The primary objective includes determining if the implementation intention guide increases completion rate of screening FIT. The secondary objectives is whether this intervention decreases the lab sample rejection rate and reduces the duration between sample collection and laboratory receipt/evaluation of screening FIT.
Description
Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high incidence, burden of disease, and significant associated mortality.(1,2) Programs to screen for CRC have leveraged stool testing with the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), a non-invasive at home test with no inherent risks, as the primary method in many countries.(3) Advantages of screening with FIT include considerations of safety, simplicity, and cost. However, while this and other options are available for colorectal cancer screening, patient screening rates have still not achieved recommended 70-80% targets.(4) In order to increase colorectal cancer screen…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 45–75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 45-75 * Cared for by primary care at General Internal Medicine Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, NH), Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Heater Road Primary Care (Lebanon, NH), Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Lyme Primary Care (Lyme, NH), or White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center (White River Junction, VT) OR eligible for FIT through VA Mailed FIT Program Exclusion Criteria: * none
Interventions
- BehavioralImplementation Intention Guide
The intervention is the addition of implementation intention guide document provided with the FIT. This is a one-page piece of paper that was developed by the investigator team and finalized with input/feedback from patient partners. The implementation intention guide includes instructions about the importance of developing a plan to complete FIT. It also includes fillable fields for participants to enter their plan for when to complete, where to store, when to return, and where to return their FIT. Participants will also be able to follow a QR code on the implementation intention guide document to a link to complete an anonymous, electronic version of the guide and share feedback on the intervention.
Locations (5)
- Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics, Heater Road Primary CareLebanon, New Hampshire
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, General Internal Medicine ClinicLebanon, New Hampshire
- Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics, Lyme Primary Care ClinicLyme, New Hampshire
- White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Primary Care ClinicWhite River Junction, Vermont
- White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA Mailed FIT ProgramWhite River Junction, Vermont