A telephone reminder intervention to improve breast screening information and access

• This is a study evaluating a telephone health promotion intervention related to breast screening.
• The study took place in Inner North-East London, an urban area of high ethnic diversity and wide socioeconomic variation.
• The intervention was associated with a substantial and significant increase in breast screening uptake.
• Culture- and language-sensitive telephone promotion can increase screening participation in “hard-to-reach” populations.

ObjectivesIn the UK, women aged 50–70 are offered breast cancer screening every three years. Screening participation rates in London have been particularly low. Low rates have been associated with low socio-economic status, and some ethnic groups have been observed to be underserved by cancer screening. This paper reports on a telephone reminder intervention in London Newham, an area of high deprivation and ethnic diversity.Study DesignObservational study of planned intervention.MethodsWomen invited for breast screening were telephoned to confirm receipt of the invitation letter, remind invitees of their upcoming appointment, and to provide further information. Aggregate data at general practice level on invitation to and attendance at breast screening and on numbers reached by telephone were analysed by logistic regression.ResultsFor the 29 participating GP practices (10,928 invitees) overall uptake in 2010 was higher compared to the previous screening round in 2007 (67% vs. 51%; p < 0.001). On average 59% of invitees were reached by the reminder calls. A 10% increase in women reached resulted in an 8% increase in the odds of women attending their screening appointment (95% CI: 5%–11%), after adjusting for 2007 attendance rates. Practices with a higher proportion of South Asian women were associated with a larger uptake adjusted for 2007 uptake and population reached by the telephone intervention, (4% increase in odds of attendance per 10% increase in South Asian population, CI 1%–7%, p = 0.003) while practices with a higher proportion of black women were associated with a smaller uptake similarly adjusted. (11% decrease in odds of attendance per 10% increase in black population, CI 9%–16%, p < 0.001).ConclusionsA language- and culture-sensitive programme of reminder calls substantially improved breast cancer screening uptake.