Text reminders increase bowel cancer screening uptake
London trial offers evidence for low-cost follow-up
Text reminders more than tripled bowel cancer screening uptake among initial non-responders in a University of Surrey-led randomised controlled study. Published in the British Journal of Cancer, the trial involved 3,129 people across eight London boroughs who had not returned kits within 18 weeks.
Uptake reached 6.5% with automated reminders, compared with 2.0% without further contact. An initial text followed by telephone support increased uptake to 7.5%. London’s overall screening uptake is 63.8%, eight percentage points below the national average; wider rollout benefits remain projections.
Why this matters for policymakers
- Commissioning Our analysis: assess reminder delivery costs and integration with existing screening systems.
- Equity Our analysis: monitor participation across deprivation groups during implementation.
- Targeted support Our analysis: evaluate where telephone navigation adds sufficient benefit to justify additional resources.
Image: Illustrative photograph of an Australian bowel cancer home test kit, not equipment used in the London study. Photograph: Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to JPEG for display.