Getting people to complete cancer screenings is a major hurdle in healthcare. When patients skip these tests, it can lead to late diagnoses and harder treatments. Researchers looked at 76 different trials to see which methods actually get people to show up and finish their colorectal cancer screenings.
They found that patient navigation and mailed outreach for fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) were the most effective strategies. These methods worked significantly better than standard care or simple reminders. Specifically, mailed FIT outreach was even more effective than outreach for colonoscopies. In areas where very few people were getting screened, mailed FIT outreach showed a particularly large impact.
While these results are promising, the researchers noted that the certainty of the evidence ranges from moderate to low. Other methods, like educational multimedia and reminder-only programs, showed only modest improvements. These findings suggest that hands-on navigation and direct mail are the strongest tools for improving screening rates.
