Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake Through Education and Stool-Based Testing Outreach

August 19, 2026 updated by: Washington University School of Medicine

Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake Through Patient-Centered Education and Mailed Stool-Based Testing Outreach in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic

This is a mixed-methods implementation pilot combining an educational intervention with a mailed stool-based testing outreach feasibility study within a resident primary care clinic. Participants will be assigned by clinic team to education, mailed FIT, mailed Cologuard, or usual care comparison groups.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
200

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Cassandra Fritz, MD, MPHS
  • Phone Number: 314-454-8165
  • Email: cfritz@wustl.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Missouri
      • St Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
        • Washington University School of Medicine
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Kamilah Scales, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Phase 1 Education Arm Inclusion Criteria:

  • Previously enrolled in prior study IRB #202202059 who agreed to participate in future research

Phase 1 Education Arm Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not enrolled in prior study IRB #202202059

Phase 2 (All Other Arms) Inclusion Criteria:

  • Primary Care Medicine Clinic patient (PRMC)
  • Eligible for CRC screening
  • Between age 45-75 years old
  • Have eligible health insurance

Phase 2 (All Other Arms) Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior history of colorectal cancer
  • Diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Education
Participants will complete the Assessment of Colon Cancer Literacy (ACCL) as a pre-test prior to receiving education materials. After the pre-test, participants will be provided with ACCL education materials. Three months after being provided education materials, participants will repeat ACCL testing.
Behavioral: Colorectal Cancer Education Materials
Education materials are compiled from the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the City of Hope. The education materials are at a 6th grade reading level. Materials detail digestive system and polyp background, colorectal cancer (CRC) risk factors, warning signs, screening options, recommended initial screening age, and stool-based screening and colonoscopy processes.
Experimental: Mailed FIT

Participants will receive a mailed package including 1 FIT test, step-by-step written and pictorial instructions, a prepaid, trackable return envelope, a brief explanation of how the testing works and how results will be communicated, and education materials about CRC. Participants who return kits will complete the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-3) by phone or via MyChart.

Participants will be contacted three times by phone as reminders to complete the kit. After three reminders, the team will stop attempting to contact the patient.
Diagnostic test: Fecal immunochemical test kit
The Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) will be mailed to the participants. Participants will complete the test via the step-by-step written and pictorial instructions provided and mail the complete test with the pre-paid return label provided.
Experimental: Mailed Cologuard

Participants will receive a mailed package including 1 Cologuard test, step-by-step written and pictorial instructions, a prepaid, trackable return envelope, a brief explanation of how the testing works and how results will be communicated, and education materials about CRC. Participants will have 3 months to return the kit. Participants who return kits will complete the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-3) by phone or via MyChart.

Participants will be contacted three times by phone as reminders to complete the kit. After three reminders, the team will stop attempting to contact the patient.
Diagnostic test: Cologuard test kit
The Cologuard test will be mailed to the participants. Participants will complete the test via the step-by-step written and pictorial instructions provided and mail the complete test with the pre-paid return label provided.
Active Comparator: Usual Care
Participants will receive usual care from provider after enrollment with no intervention. Usual care includes providers offering standard screening options including FIT, Cologuard, and colonoscopy at the initial visit with no default option or structured follow-up.
Behavioral: Usual Care
Usual care for patients eligible for colorectal cancer screening will be provided by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Primary Care Medicine Clinic.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in CRC knowledge (Education Arm only)
Time Frame: At enrollment and 3 months after educational intervention (total estimated time is 3 months)
Change in CRC knowledge will be measured by changes in the score of the Assessment of Colon Cancer Literacy (ACCL) test. The ACCL consists of 10-items with True/False/Unsure. The ACCL score ranges from 0 to 10 with a score of 7-10 indicating adequate literacy and scores of 0-6 indicating limited literacy.
At enrollment and 3 months after educational intervention (total estimated time is 3 months)
Feasibility as measured by the percentage of kits returned (Mailed FIT and Mailed Cologuard Arms only)
Time Frame: At 3 months after receiving kit (total estimated time 3 months)
At 3 months after receiving kit (total estimated time 3 months)
Acceptability of stool based testing (Mailed FIT and Mailed Cologuard Arms only)
Time Frame: At completion of testing or at 3 months after receiving test kit (total estimated time 3 months)
Acceptability will be assessed using the 3-item Customer Service Questionnaire (CSQ-3). The 3-items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale as follows: 1=Poor, 2=Fair, 3=Good, and 4=Excellent. Generally, the higher the score indicates greater customer satisfaction.
At completion of testing or at 3 months after receiving test kit (total estimated time 3 months)
CRC screening completion rate (All arms)
Time Frame: From time of receiving CRC kit to 6 months after receiving kit (total estimated time 6 months)
CRC screening completion rate will be assessed through electronic health record (EHR) verification of screening completion.
From time of receiving CRC kit to 6 months after receiving kit (total estimated time 6 months)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Washington University School of Medicine

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Cassandra Fritz, MD, MPHS, Washington University School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 30, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 31, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 19, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 202606027

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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