The effect of a simple phone call intervention on FIT-positive individuals: an exploratory study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening has been shown to improve patient outcomes. A widely utilised preliminary screening tool is the faecal immunochemical test (FIT). However, follow-up rates after a positive FIT result remain suboptimal.

In order to improve FIT-positive individuals' compliance to follow-up consultation and to elucidate barriers to action, a simple 5- to 10-min telephone intervention with a structured script based on the protection motivation theory (PMT) was conducted.

Ninety-two FIT-positive individuals who had previously rejected follow-up consultation in the National University Hospital, Singapore, were interviewed by the study team. Individuals reported barriers to action such as the denial of a positive FIT result (41.8%) and a lack of knowledge (34.5%). More than 20% of the participants who had yet to schedule follow-up consultation changed their minds after the intervention.

The results suggest that a simple, structured telephone call can potentially encourage more FIT-positive individuals to pursue follow-up investigation.