Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2022

Facilitators for participation in mail-out bowel cancer screening programs (#182)

Laura E Anderson 1 , Larry Myers 1 2 , Michael J Ireland 2 3 , Bianca Viljoen 1 3 4 , Belinda C Goodwin 1 3
  1. Cancer Council Queensland, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia
  2. School of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia
  3. Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland
  4. School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland

Aims 

Participation in population-wide bowel cancer screening programs saves lives through early cancer detection. However, only 44% of eligible Australians participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP). Most non-participants intend to participate in the program but fail to do so because they forget or procrastinate. Therefore, the present study sought to identify targets for planning interventions, as they have the potential to overcome these barriers and greatly increase screening participation.  

Methods 

Two semi-structured interviews were conducted (recruitment ceased upon data saturation). Twenty NBCSP participants identified planning strategies they employed to prompt kit return. These were presented to a sample of people who had not completed their most recent NBCSP kit to assess if these strategies would help them not procrastinate or forget to return their next screening kit. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. 

Results 

Kit-completers identified that placing the kit in highly visible location, using reminders, and planning to complete the kit around time at home were key strategies used to prevent procrastination and forgetting. People who had not completed their most recent kit tended to endorse the idea of planning to complete the kit around a time at home, however, there was great variability about most strategies. For example, there was strong division regarding utility and engagement in a suggestion to place the kit in a highly visible location. 

Conclusions 

Planning interventions must consider individual differences when suggesting strategies to reduce forgetting and procrastination. A multifaceted planning intervention with a range of planning strategies is likely to be most effective as this will allow people to choose the planning strategy that is best suited to them. Future interventions to increase screening participation should consider the most effective, broad-reaching combination of planning strategies to facilitate the invitee’s transition from having screening intentions into screening participation.