Improving fecal occult blood testing compliance using a mailed educational reminder.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Randomized controlled trials have shown that annual screening fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) reduces CRC mortality and incidence. However, patient compliance with FOBT is low.

Objective

To determine whether a mailed educational reminder increases FOBT card return rates and to examine predictors of FOBT compliance.

Design

Blinded, randomized, controlled trial at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, California.

Patients

Seven hundred and seventy-five consecutive patients > or =50 years of age referred by their primary care physicians for FOBT.

Intervention

Patients were randomly assigned to the usual care group or the intervention gro

SUBMITTER: Lee JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2771232 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature