SMS Messaging as a Tool to Improve Cancer Screening Programs (M-TICS)

September 18, 2025 updated by: Institut Català d'Oncologia

Implementation of Text Messaging (SMS) as an Improvement Tool in Population-based Cancer Screening Programs

The aim of this project is to assess the impact on health and economics of the implementation of text messaging (SMS) in cancer screening programs. Three interventions with SMS will be evaluated through community trials. In the colorectal cancer screening program the following interventions will be tested: a) Participation reminder: six weeks after sending the invitation letter of the colorectal cancer program if there has not been a response, a reminder SMS will be sent in front of the usual method by letter; b) Reminder to return the fecal occult blood test: SMS reminder of test delivery versus no intervention. This reminder will be sent to the individuals who have gone to the pharmacy to pick up a fecal occult blood test and they have not returned it after 14 days. The impact on participation will be analyzed and, if applicable, the proportion of advanced neoplasms will be calculated by increase in participation. In the breast cancer screening program, the invitation by SMS versus the usual invitation by letter will be studied in women who had participated in the previous screening round. The impact on participation will be analyzed. A cost-effectiveness analysis of the three interventions will be carried out. The incremental cost ratio of the interventions between cost variation and effectiveness variation will be calculated.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Main Hypothesis:

The implementation of SMS in population-based cancer screening programs will improve participation, especially in colorectal cancer screening, will allow a better resource management and reduce costs in both programs.

Specific Hypothesis:

Sending the reminder SMS will have an impact on participation greater than that obtained with the standard reminder (letter) in the colorectal cancer screening program.

The effect of the colorectal cancer screening reminder SMS will be greater among the individuals who have been invited for the first time and not previous participants.

Participation after receiving the invitation by SMS in breast cancer screening will be equal to or better than the letter invitation.

The alternative that includes sending SMS will be cost-effective in relation to the current alternative that you use postal shipping.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

44601

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • Spain
    • Barcelona
      • L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain, 08908
        • Institut Catala d'Oncologia

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

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years to 69 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Eligible individuals for colorectal cancer screening (intervention 1 and 2)
  • Eligible women for breast cancer screening (intervention 3)
  • Registered at the HealthCare Database (RCA)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals without a mobile phone number registered at the RCA
  • Opt out from breast cancer screening and/or colorectal cancer screening

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: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention 1: SMS reminders in colorectal cancer screening
SMS reminders will be sent to individuals who received an invitation letter from Colorectal Cancer Screening Program and haven't participated within 6 weeks.
Behavioral: SMS reminders to enhance colorectal cancer screening
Individual randomization will be used. Individuals assigned to the experimental arm with a wrong phone number will get a reminder letter (protocol analysis).
Other Names:
  • Intervention 1
Active Comparator: Usual Care 1: Reminder letter in colorectal cancer screening
Reminder letters will be sent to individuals who received an invitation letter from the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program and haven't participated within 6 weeks.
Behavioral: SMS reminders to enhance colorectal cancer screening
Individual randomization will be used. Individuals assigned to the experimental arm with a wrong phone number will get a reminder letter (protocol analysis).
Other Names:
  • Intervention 1
Experimental: Intervention 2: SMS reminders to return the screening test
SMS reminders will be sent to individuals who picked the fecal immunochemical test at the pharmacy and haven't returned it within 14 days.
Behavioral: SMS reminders to return the fecal immunochemical test at the pharmacy in CRC screening:
Individual randomization will be used. Individuals with a wrong phone number assigned to the experimental arm will not get any reminder (protocol analysis).
Other Names:
  • Intervention 2
Active Comparator: Usual Care 2: No intervention
No reminders will be sent.
Behavioral: SMS reminders to return the fecal immunochemical test at the pharmacy in CRC screening:
Individual randomization will be used. Individuals with a wrong phone number assigned to the experimental arm will not get any reminder (protocol analysis).
Other Names:
  • Intervention 2
Experimental: Intervention 3: SMS invitation among prior participants
Invitation by SMS will be sent to women who previously participated in the Breast Cancer Screening Program.
Behavioral: Invitation by SMS to previous participants in breast cancer screening:
Individual randomization. Women assigned to the experimental arm and with a wrong phone number will get an invitation letter (protocol analysis).
Other Names:
  • Intervention 3
Active Comparator: Usual Care 3: Invitation letter
Letter invitations will be sent.
Behavioral: Invitation by SMS to previous participants in breast cancer screening:
Individual randomization. Women assigned to the experimental arm and with a wrong phone number will get an invitation letter (protocol analysis).
Other Names:
  • Intervention 3

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intervention 1: Participation in colorectal cancer screening program
Time Frame: 18 weeks
Participation (no/yes) will be gathered prospectively 18 weeks after sending the screening invitation letter (week 0).
18 weeks
Intervention 2: Participation in colorectal cancer screening program among individuals who pick the test at the pharmacy
Time Frame: 18 weeks
Participation (no/yes) among those individuals who pick the screening test for colorectal cancer at the pharmacy 18 weeks after sending the screening invitation letter (week 0).
18 weeks
Intervention 3: Participation in breast cancer screening program
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Participation (no/yes) will be gathered prospectively 8 weeks after sending the screening invitation letter (week 0).
8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incremental cost ratio
Time Frame: 18 weeks
A cost-effectiveness analysis of the three interventions will be carried out. The incremental cost ratio of the interventions between cost variation and effectiveness variation will be calculated.
18 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Institut Català d'Oncologia

Collaborators

University of Dundee
University Rovira i Virgili
University of Barcelona

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Montse Garcia, PhD, Institut Catala d'Oncologia

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.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

June 5, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 31, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 9, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 9, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

April 14, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

September 24, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 18, 2025

Last Verified

September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ICO_UCC_202001
  • PI19/00226 (Other Grant/Funding Number: The National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII))

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

No

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.

Clinical Trials on Breast Cancer

Clinical Trials on Invitation by SMS to previous participants in breast cancer screening:

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Congo, DR of

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe