Bowel cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, claiming the lives of 5,350 Australians every year (103 a week). That number is even more tragic because many of these deaths could have been prevented through early detection.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) is designed to detect bowel cancer in the general population. Eligible Australians aged 45 to 74 can do a free test at home every two years.
It only works of course if people participate, and the rates of uptake have been lower than desirable.
A study examined the long-term screening habits of Australians who received invitations to screen between 2006 and 2022, focusing on how consistently individuals participated over several screening rounds – which may provide clues as to who should be targeted and how to improve screening rates.
Researchers gathered national data on all the people who were invited to participate in the NBCSP at least once between August 2006 and March 2022. They analysed those who had been invited four times to understand how many consistently participated, how many skipped some rounds, and how many never participated. The study also explored whether past participation could predict future screening behavior.
During the study period, over 8.5 million people received at least one invitation to screen. Out of these, just over half completed at least one screening test. Among the 2.5 million people who received four invitations, a quarter consistently participated in all four rounds, while around 40 per cent never participated, and the remaining participated inconsistently. Importantly, people who had consistently participated in previous rounds were far more likely to continue screening. For example, among those who had completed all three prior screenings, 89 per cent participated in the fourth round. In contrast, only 9.5 per cent of those who had skipped all previous screenings took part in the fourth round.
This indicates that reinforcing the importance of regular screening after someone has initially participated could help improve long-term adherence to the program.
The authors suggest that targeting people who miss screenings, especially those who have skipped their most recent invitation, with tailored reminders or interventions could boost participation rates. They say that these insights are critical for developing strategies to increase screening rates in the NBCSP, ultimately saving more lives through the early detection of colorectal cancer.
Use your Tonic TV to remind patients about bowel cancer screening
If your practice has a Tonic TV, we can help you promote screening and other services.
You have access to 3 minutes every hour to promote your practice using either static slides or supplying us with videos of a 30 or 60 second duration.
A slide appears on screen for 15 seconds and can promote important information such as:
- Operating hours
- Services offered such as screening
- Local health updates
- Seasonal vaccination reminders
- New staff
- Special events and clinics
We can create the slides for you. Simply contact us with the information you’d like to share on screens, and we will design slides to promote your practice.
Further information
Longitudinal screening adherence in the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program from 2006 to 2022: ScienceDirect
