Increasing Cancer Screening: Provider Reminder and Recall Systems

Reminders inform health care providers it is time for a client’s cancer screening test (called a “reminder”) or that the client is overdue for screening (called a “recall”). The reminders can be provided in different ways, such as in client charts or by e-mail.

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends provider reminder systems based on strong evidence of their effectiveness in increasing:

• Breast cancer screening by mammography
• Cervical cancer screening by Pap test
• Colorectal cancer screening by fecal occult blood test (FOBT)

The Task Force recommends provider reminder systems based on sufficient evidence of their effectiveness in increasing:

• Colorectal cancer screening by flexible sigmoidoscopy

The Task Force finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of using provider reminders to increase:

• Colorectal cancer screening by colonoscopy or double contrast barium enema

Task Force Finding

Results from the System Reviews

Twenty-five studies qualified for the review and included 2 outcome measures.

• The included studies had thirty-one estimates of the effect of provider reminders on the screening outcomes of interest: twelve for mammography, thirteen for Pap tests, five for FOBTs, and one for flexible sigmoidoscopy
• Mammography, pap test, and FOBT screening completion: median increase of 8.8 percentage points

Breast Cancer

• Proportion of study participants completing mammography: median increase of 12 percentage points (12 studies or study arms)

Cervical Cancer

• Proportion of study participants completing Pap tests: median increase of 4.7 percentage points (13 studies or study arms)

Colorectal Cancer

• Proportion of study participants completing FOBTs and flexible sigmoidoscopy: median increase of 17.6 percentage points (6 studies or study arms)

These results were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to cancer prevention.

Supporting Materials

• Analytic framework [PDF - 452KB] – see Figure 1 on page 112
• Research gaps
• Summary evidence tables [PDF - 108KB]
• Included studies

Publications

Baron RC, Melillo S, Rimer BK, et al. Intervention to increase recommendation and delivery of screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers by healthcare providers: a systematic review of provider reminders. [PDF - 452KB] Am J Prev Med 2010;38(1):110-7.

More Community Guide publications about Cancer Prevention and Control

Promotional Materials

Community Guide News

• Prompting Healthcare Providers Can Increase Cancer Screenings
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More promotional materials for Community Guide reviews about Provider-Oriented Interventions to Increase Cancer Screening.

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Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Increasing cancer screening: provider reminder and recall systems. www.thecommunityguide.org/cancer/screening/provider-oriented/reminders.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: February 2006