CRCNCT03337776
Effect of WhatsApp Messenger on Uptake of CRC Screening Study
A study testing WhatsApp message and Telephone call in people with CRC, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
It is estimated that there are about 1.4 million patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide, with a rising trend in CRC incidence in many Asian Pacific countries1. In Hong Kong, colorectal cancer ranks first in cancer incidence and second in cancer mortality based on data from 20142. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- CRC
- What is being tested?
- WhatsApp message and Telephone call
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- Feb 2019to 31 Dec 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 50 to 75 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age between 50 - 70
- Asymptomatic
Who cannot join
- Lack of access to WhatsApp messenger
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effectiveness of WhatsApp Messenger on the Uptake of Colorectal Cancer Screening: a Non-inferiority Randomized Controlled Study
It is estimated that there are about 1.4 million patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide, with a rising trend in CRC incidence in many Asian Pacific countries1. In Hong Kong, colorectal cancer ranks first in cancer incidence and second in cancer mortality based on data from 20142.
Recent guidelines from USA, Europe and Asia Pacific region recommend CRC screening for average-risk asymptomatic individuals starting at age 503-5. Modalities such as guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (gFOBT), fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), and colonoscopy are among the acceptable options for CRC screening3-5.
Read more
Department of Health of Hong Kong launched a Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Program in late 2016. This is a subsidized program offering primary care consultation with FIT. For those subjects with FIT positive, colonoscopy specialist consultation and colonoscopy will be arranged.
The local uptake rate of CRC screening was reported to be 24.5%8 , which is relatively low when compared to other developed county9.
In recent years, social media (SM) has become an increasingly popular source of health information10. By providing an easily accessible and interactive channel of communication between reviewers and information providers, it has potential values for affecting public health. However, the effects of SM on uptake of CRC screening has not yet been studied.
WhatsApp Messenger, is the most popular social media messaging app worldwide. This randomized controlled study will investigate the effect of WhatsApp vs telephone intervention on the uptake of CRC screening.
Read the detailed description
Background It is estimated that there are about 1.4 million patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide, with a rising trend in CRC incidence in many Asian Pacific countries1. In Hong Kong, colorectal cancer ranks first in cancer incidence and second in cancer mortality based on data from 20142.
Recent guidelines from USA, Europe and Asia Pacific region recommend CRC screening for average-risk asymptomatic individuals starting at age 503-5. Modalities such as guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (gFOBT), fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), and colonoscopy are among the acceptable options for CRC screening3-5.
Department of Health of Hong Kong launched a Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Program in late 2016. This is a subsidized program offering primary care consultation with FIT. For those subjects with FIT positive, colonoscopy specialist consultation and colonoscopy will be arranged.
The local uptake rate of CRC screening was reported to be 24.5%8 , which is relatively low when compared to other developed county9.
In recent years, social media (SM) has become an increasingly popular source of health information10. By providing an easily accessible and interactive channel of communication between reviewers and information providers, it has potential values for affecting public health. However, the effects of SM on uptake of CRC screening has not yet been studied.
WhatsApp Messenger, is the most popular social media messaging app worldwide. This randomized controlled study will investigate the effect of WhatsApp vs telephone intervention on the uptake of CRC screening.
Hypothesis Delivery of information of CRC screening program via SM can encourage uptake of CRC screening.
Aim To investigate the effectiveness of Delivery of information of CRC screening program via WhatsApp on the uptake of CRC screening
- Conditions
- CRC
- Being tested
- WhatsApp message, Telephone call
- Keywords
- WhatsApp messenger, crc screening, screening update rate
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
WhatsApp messageOther
WhatsApp message will be sent to invite subjects to participate in CRC screening
Telephone callOther
Telephone call will be made to invite subjects to participate in CRC screening
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp message | Active comparator | WhatsApp messages will be sent to invite subjects to participate CRC screening Receives: Other: WhatsApp message |
| Telephone call | Active comparator | Telephone call will be made to invite subjects to participate CRC screening Receives: Other: Telephone call |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
CRC screening uptake rate
Number of subjects participating in CRC screening after study intervention divided by the total number of subjects in each study arm
Measured: 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Nov 2017
- Study startFeb 2019 (estimated)
- Primary completionDec 2019 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2019 (estimated)
Why it stopped: COVID
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CRCStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Chinese University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Thomas Yuen Tung Lam, Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Investigators
- Yuen Tung Thomas Lam, MSc, Principal investigator, Chinese University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03337776
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- WhatsApp Uptake
- Status last verified
- Aug 2021
- First submitted
- 6 Nov 2017
- Last updated
- 5 Aug 2021
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Aug 2021. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effectiveness of WhatsApp Messenger on the Uptake of Colorectal Cancer Screening: a Non-inferiority Randomized Controlled Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03337776
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- WhatsApp Uptake
- Conditions
- CRC
- Keywords
- WhatsApp messenger, crc screening, screening update rate
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: COVID
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Feb 2019 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2019 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2019 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 Nov 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
It is estimated that there are about 1.4 million patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide, with a rising trend in CRC incidence in many Asian Pacific countries1. In Hong Kong, colorectal cancer ranks first in cancer incidence and second in cancer mortality based on data from 20142.
Recent guidelines from USA, Europe and Asia Pacific region recommend CRC screening for average-risk asymptomatic individuals starting at age 503-5. Modalities such as guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (gFOBT), fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), and colonoscopy are among the acceptable options for CRC screening3-5.
Department of Health of Hong Kong launched a Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Program in late 2016. This is a subsidized program offering primary care consultation with FIT. For those subjects with FIT positive, colonoscopy specialist consultation and colonoscopy will be arranged.
The local uptake rate of CRC screening was reported to be 24.5%8 , which is relatively low when compared to other developed county9.
In recent years, social media (SM) has become an increasingly popular source of health information10. By providing an easily accessible and interactive channel of communication between reviewers and information providers, it has potential values for affecting public health. However, the effects of SM on uptake of CRC screening has not yet been studied.
WhatsApp Messenger, is the most popular social media messaging app worldwide. This randomized controlled study will investigate the effect of WhatsApp vs telephone intervention on the uptake of CRC screening.
Detailed description
Background It is estimated that there are about 1.4 million patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide, with a rising trend in CRC incidence in many Asian Pacific countries1. In Hong Kong, colorectal cancer ranks first in cancer incidence and second in cancer mortality based on data from 20142.
Recent guidelines from USA, Europe and Asia Pacific region recommend CRC screening for average-risk asymptomatic individuals starting at age 503-5. Modalities such as guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (gFOBT), fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), and colonoscopy are among the acceptable options for CRC screening3-5.
Department of Health of Hong Kong launched a Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Program in late 2016. This is a subsidized program offering primary care consultation with FIT. For those subjects with FIT positive, colonoscopy specialist consultation and colonoscopy will be arranged.
The local uptake rate of CRC screening was reported to be 24.5%8 , which is relatively low when compared to other developed county9.
In recent years, social media (SM) has become an increasingly popular source of health information10. By providing an easily accessible and interactive channel of communication between reviewers and information providers, it has potential values for affecting public health. However, the effects of SM on uptake of CRC screening has not yet been studied.
WhatsApp Messenger, is the most popular social media messaging app worldwide. This randomized controlled study will investigate the effect of WhatsApp vs telephone intervention on the uptake of CRC screening.
Hypothesis Delivery of information of CRC screening program via SM can encourage uptake of CRC screening.
Aim To investigate the effectiveness of Delivery of information of CRC screening program via WhatsApp on the uptake of CRC screening
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp message | Active comparator | Other: WhatsApp messageWhatsApp messages will be sent to invite subjects to participate CRC screening |
| Telephone call | Active comparator | Other: Telephone callTelephone call will be made to invite subjects to participate CRC screening |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Age between 50 - 70
- Asymptomatic
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Lack of access to WhatsApp messenger
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp messageWhatsApp message will be sent to invite subjects to participate in CRC screening | Other | WhatsApp message |
| Telephone callTelephone call will be made to invite subjects to participate in CRC screening | Other | Telephone call |
Primary outcome
CRC screening uptake rate
Time frame: 1 year
Number of subjects participating in CRC screening after study intervention divided by the total number of subjects in each study arm
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Aug 2021.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Yuen Tung Thomas Lam, MSc principal investigator
Chinese University of Hong Kong
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing WhatsApp message and Telephone call in people with CRC, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Aug 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
CRC screening uptake rate (time frame: 1 year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Aug 2021.