NCT02584998

Brief Summary

The main study aim is to develop, implement and disseminate a pilot population-based mailed FIT outreach screening program in the Philadelphia VA Medical Center that does not rely on having an office visit, by conducting a proof-of-concept 3-arm parallel-design pragmatic randomized trial to (1) Compare the effects of usual care (UC), screening invitation + reminder (invitation-reminder), or screening invitation + mailed FIT kit + reminder (mailed-FIT); (2) Explore whether the FIT completion rate varies by age or race/ethnicity; and (3) Explore barriers to use of mailed outreach screening for Veterans.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
782

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable colorectal-cancer

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2017

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable colorectal-cancer

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

October 21, 2015

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

October 23, 2015

Completed
1.2 years until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 2017

Completed
5 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 12, 2017

Completed
7 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 30, 2017

Completed
12 months until next milestone

Results Posted

Study results publicly available

December 24, 2018

Completed
Last Updated

December 24, 2018

Status Verified

December 1, 2018

Enrollment Period

5 months

First QC Date

October 21, 2015

Results QC Date

June 7, 2018

Last Update Submit

December 21, 2018

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • The Number of Participants Who Completed the Mailed FIT Test Screening Within 6 Months

    The completion rate of mailed FIT test within 6 months of the mailing of the screening invitation. The absence of FIT result in the electronic medical record (CRPS) will be considered a failure to complete the FIT test

    6 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • The Number of Participants Who Received Any Colorectal Cancer Screening Test in the 6-month Period After Enrollment Into the Study.

    6 months

Study Arms (3)

Usual care

NO INTERVENTION

These patients will continue to receive the current practice at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center (VAMC) of offering screening during an office visit. Other interventions will be embedded within this existing program for a pragmatic approach. However, all participants in the trial, including those in usual care (UC), will receive follow-up of test results and navigation to diagnostic colonoscopy for positive FIT results.

Screening invitation-reminder

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive UC and also receive an invitation letter with information about CRC testing. The information will include lay-audience description of screening tests and symptoms that should prompt diagnostic work-up. The packet will have instructions to contact the study team if participants believe they are not eligible and to update the contact information on record. The letter will inform participants that a telephone reminder will follow in 4 weeks from invitation letter if screening is not completed. They will also receive notification of test results and navigation to colonoscopy, if needed. For the purposes of this intervention, Week 1 will be the week the invitation letter was sent (time zero).

Other: Screening invitation-reminder

Mailed-FIT

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants randomized to Mailed-FIT will receive a mailed FIT pre-notification letter (plus a screening invitation) followed by the kit 1 week later. Participants will receive instructions to contact the study team if they believe they are not eligible and to update their contact information. They will be informed that a telephone reminder will follow 4 weeks from notification letter if screening is not completed. Participants who do not return their kit within 4 weeks after their pre-notification letter was mailed will receive a live telephone reminder, followed by 2 additional calls at the end of weeks 5 and 6, if needed. For the purposes of this intervention, Week 1 will be the week the pre-notification letter was sent (time zero).

Other: Mailed-FIT

Interventions

The FIT is analyzed at the Philadelphia VAMC by an auto-analyzer system that provides quantitative results corresponding to the concentration of hemoglobin in the collected sample. Specimens will be analyzed according to manufacturer's instructions to minimize potential degradation of hemoglobin. Results are provided as positive if the hemoglobin concentration is 100ng/dL. The machine records (but does not report) the quantitative results of the hemoglobin concentration in the sample, which we will seek to obtain from the laboratory for future studies.

Also known as: Fecal Immunochemical Test
Mailed-FIT

These patients will continue to receive UC. They will in addition receive an invitation letter with all of the information about CRC testing in the mail-FIT arm

Screening invitation-reminder

Eligibility Criteria

Age50 Years - 74 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • The pragmatic trial will include Veterans in southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey who, during the funding year
  • to 75 years old
  • Have received care at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center in the 18-48 months prior to selection for the study but who have not been seen by primary care in the past 18 months prior to selection
  • Due for screening
  • Are asymptomatic for CRC
  • This includes the period during which 3-sample testing was being regularly used at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center

You may not qualify if:

  • Have any known gastrointestinal symptoms such as:
  • bleeding
  • unexplained weight loss
  • change in bowel habits
  • family history of CRC
  • inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • colectomy using International Classification of Disease (9th and 10th edition) diagnostic code or by self-report.
  • The investigators will also exclude Veterans:
  • with evidence of prior colonoscopy within 10 years
  • sigmoidoscopy within 5 years
  • fecal occult blood test (FOBT)/FIT in the same calendar year
  • The information used to exclude patients will be derived from the electronic queries or chart audits.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Goldshore MA, Mehta SJ, Fletcher W, Tzanis G, Doubeni CA, Paulson EC. An RCT of Fecal Immunochemical Test Colorectal Cancer Screening in Veterans Without Recent Primary Care. Am J Prev Med. 2020 Jul;59(1):41-48. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.02.014.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Colorectal Neoplasms

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Intestinal NeoplasmsGastrointestinal NeoplasmsDigestive System NeoplasmsNeoplasms by SiteNeoplasmsDigestive System DiseasesGastrointestinal DiseasesColonic DiseasesIntestinal DiseasesRectal Diseases

Results Point of Contact

Title
Emily Carter Paulson, MD MSCA
Organization
CMC VAMC

Study Officials

  • E. Carter Paulson, MD MSCE

    Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

PI is Sponsor Employee
Yes

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
SCREENING
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
FED
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

October 21, 2015

First Posted

October 23, 2015

Study Start

January 1, 2017

Primary Completion

June 12, 2017

Study Completion

December 30, 2017

Last Updated

December 24, 2018

Results First Posted

December 24, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-12

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations