Evaluating Mammography Communication Approaches

March 31, 2026 updated by: University of Colorado, Denver
This is a randomized online experiment testing different methods for communicating about the benefits and harms of breast cancer screening. Participants will be randomly assigned to experimental conditions which vary whether screening outcomes are referred to as "benefits and harms" vs. "outcomes that can happen with screening", and vary the presence or absence of information about improvements in breast cancer survivability. In a control condition, participants receive basic information about what mammography is (which is also information received in all other conditions). Primary outcomes include skepticism toward the information presented, and screening intentions.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This is a randomized online experiment testing different methods for communicating about the benefits and harms of breast cancer screening. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 5 experimental conditions, in a 2 x 2 + 1 factorial design, which vary (1) whether screening outcomes are referred to as "benefits and harms" vs. "outcomes that can happen with screening", and (2) the presence or absence of information about improvements in breast cancer treatment and survivability. In a 5th arm, a control condition, participants receive basic information about what mammography is (which is also information received in all other conditions). Primary outcomes include skepticism toward the information presented, and screening intentions.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

1900

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

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • University of Colorado Anschutz

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female, age 39-49

Exclusion Criteria:

  • No history of breast cancer, no known BRCA1/2 gene mutation

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: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Control condition
Participants receive basic information about what mammography screening is
Other: No intervention
This is the control condition in which only basic information about mammography screening.
Experimental: Harm/benefit language, survivability information
Outcomes of screening are referred to as "harms" and "benefits"; information about breast cancer survivability is included
Other: Harm/benefit language vs. outcomes that can happen
Information about mortality benefit, false positives and overdiagnosis are referred to throughout the communication as either "harms" and "benefits" or "outcomes that can happen".
Other: Breast cancer survivability information
Information about improvements over time in the survivability of breast cancer is provided vs. not
Experimental: Harm/benefit language, no survivability information
Outcomes of screening are referred to as "harms" and "benefits"; information about breast cancer survivability is not included
Other: Harm/benefit language vs. outcomes that can happen
Information about mortality benefit, false positives and overdiagnosis are referred to throughout the communication as either "harms" and "benefits" or "outcomes that can happen".
Experimental: Outcomes that can happen language, survivability information
Outcomes of screening are referred to as "outcomes that can happen"; information about breast cancer survivability is included
Other: Harm/benefit language vs. outcomes that can happen
Information about mortality benefit, false positives and overdiagnosis are referred to throughout the communication as either "harms" and "benefits" or "outcomes that can happen".
Other: Breast cancer survivability information
Information about improvements over time in the survivability of breast cancer is provided vs. not
Experimental: Outcomes that can happen language, no survivability information
Outcomes of screening are referred to as "outcomes that can happen"; information about breast cancer survivability is not included
Other: Harm/benefit language vs. outcomes that can happen
Information about mortality benefit, false positives and overdiagnosis are referred to throughout the communication as either "harms" and "benefits" or "outcomes that can happen".

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Skepticism toward the screening message
Time Frame: Participant experience entails a one-time survey. This outcome is measured in that survey, immediately after participants read information about mammography screening.
Skepticism toward the screening message is assessed using the RED scale, consisting of 11 questions each measured on a 7-point Likert scale
Participant experience entails a one-time survey. This outcome is measured in that survey, immediately after participants read information about mammography screening.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Colorado, Denver

Collaborators

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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)

November 6, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 12, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 11, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 12, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

November 14, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 31, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 25-0635.cc
  • R37CA254926 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Although these data are anonymized, data will be checked for any potentially identifying information. Any such information will be removed from the data prior to data sharing. The full data (sans potential identifiers) will be made publicly available on the Open Science Framework.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

This information will be made publicly available on the Open Science Framework prior to publishing the a manuscript from these data.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Anyone will be able to access the IPD via the Open Science Framework.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

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.

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