Colorectal CancerNCT04296630
Social Media for Colorectal Cancer Screening
A study testing Social media message #1, Social media message #2 and Social media message #3 in people with Colorectal Cancer and Cancer Screening, run by Unity Health Toronto at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Using social media for health promotion is an innovative and emerging approach but remains relatively unexplored in cancer screening. Uptake of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening remains low and standard methods of reaching out are expensive with limited impact. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 55 to 64 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Colorectal Cancer, Cancer Screening
- What is being tested?
- Social media message #1, Social media message #2 and Social media message #3
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 56,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 25 Oct 2024to 31 Dec 2024
- 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 55 to 64 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Facebook users in Ontario who are between 55-64 years of age
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Utilizing Social Media for Colorectal Cancer Screening: an Innovative Randomized Controlled Trial
Using social media for health promotion is an innovative and emerging approach but remains relatively unexplored in cancer screening. Uptake of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening remains low and standard methods of reaching out are expensive with limited impact. The objective of this study is to conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of social media messages for CRC screening on screening intention (primary outcome). The results of this trial will be of interest to Ontario Health and are likely to be taken up by other screening programs looking for innovative and novel ways to increase screening participation. The study results will be easily translatable identifying the most compelling CRC screening messages while the approach can easily be translated to other cancer disease sites with screening programs.
Read the detailed description
The investigators will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Facebook users (aged 50+) in Ontario. Randomization will be done at the level of the forward sortation area (FSA) - the first three characters of the postal code. All FSAs in Ontario will be randomized to one of six study arms - users assigned to each arm will receive one of the social media messages or no message (control). If users click on the message, a webpage with further information on screening will appear and participants will be asked to indicate intention to get screened for CRC. The primary outcome will be intention to screen and secondary outcomes will include other engagement metrics such as reach, cost-per-click, click-through rates, number of likes, number of impressions, and post comments.
This study will inform the feasibility of using social media for CRC screening and identify the most compelling CRC screening messages for the screen-eligible population.
- Conditions
- Colorectal Cancer, Cancer Screening
- Being tested
- Social media message #1, Social media message #2, Social media message #3, Social Media Message #4, Tailored Social Media Message
- Keywords
- Social media, Ad campaigns
- Medical subject headings
- Colorectal Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Social media message #1Other
Social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening
Social media message #2Other
A different social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening
Social media message #3Other
A different social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening
Social Media Message #4Other
A different social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening.
Tailored Social Media MessageOther
Tailored social media messages promoting colorectal cancer screening.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Message #1 | Active comparator | This arm will receive one of five social media messages that is preferred by our target population through focus groups that are being conducted as part of a previous study. Receives: Other: Social media message #1 |
| Message #2 | Active comparator | This arm will receive the second social media message that is preferred by our target population as identified from our previous focus group study. Receives: Other: Social media message #2 |
| Message #3 | Active comparator | This arm will receive the third social media message that is preferred by our target population as identified from our previous focus group study. Receives: Other: Social media message #3 |
| Arm #4 | Active comparator | This arm will receive the fourth social media message that is preferred by our target population as identified from our previous focus group study. Receives: Other: Social Media Message #4 |
| Tailored Arm | Active comparator | This arm will receive social media messages that will be tailored by sex. Receives: Other: Tailored Social Media Message |
| Control Arm | No intervention | This arm will not receive any intervention. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Screening intention
The proportion of individuals in each arm that click on the ad and confirm their intention to get screened for CRC
Measured: From date of randomization to end of data collection (1 month)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Cost-per-click
The average cost per link click calculated as the total amount spent on the ad campaign divided by total number of link clicks
Measured: From date of randomization to end of data collection (1 month)
Click-through-rate
Percentage of times that individuals saw the ads and performed a click
Measured: From date of randomization to the end of data collection (1 month)
Number of likes
Total number of Facebook likes for each ad
Measured: At the end of the study period at 1 month
Number of impressions
Number of times that each ad was on screen
Measured: At the end of the study period at 1 month
Post comments
Number of comments on each ad
Measured: At the end of the study period at 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Mar 2020
- Study start25 Oct 2024
- Primary completion29 Nov 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2024 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Colorectal CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Unity Health TorontoThe 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 56,000 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Unity Health Toronto
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Nancy N. Baxter, MD, FRCSC, FACS, PhD, Principal investigator, Unity Health Toronto
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04296630
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20-005
- Status last verified
- Oct 2024
- First submitted
- 3 Mar 2020
- Last updated
- 4 Nov 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be available to share because the study results will not be at the individual-level and therefore this is not applicable.
Publications
Ruco A, Baker N, Howse M, Sorvari A, Jacobson J, Llovet D, Tinmouth J, Moineddin R, Baxter NN. Using Facebook to Improve Participation in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2026 May 14;15:e86829. doi: 10.2196/86829.
PubMed 42133942
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Nov 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Utilizing Social Media for Colorectal Cancer Screening: an Innovative Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04296630
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 20-005
- Conditions
- Colorectal Cancer, Cancer Screening
- Keywords
- Social media, Ad campaigns
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 56,000 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Unity Health TorontoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Study start
- 25 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 29 Nov 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- First posted
- 5 Mar 2020 (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.
Using social media for health promotion is an innovative and emerging approach but remains relatively unexplored in cancer screening. Uptake of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening remains low and standard methods of reaching out are expensive with limited impact. The objective of this study is to conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of social media messages for CRC screening on screening intention (primary outcome). The results of this trial will be of interest to Ontario Health and are likely to be taken up by other screening programs looking for innovative and novel ways to increase screening participation. The study results will be easily translatable identifying the most compelling CRC screening messages while the approach can easily be translated to other cancer disease sites with screening programs.
Detailed description
The investigators will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Facebook users (aged 50+) in Ontario. Randomization will be done at the level of the forward sortation area (FSA) - the first three characters of the postal code. All FSAs in Ontario will be randomized to one of six study arms - users assigned to each arm will receive one of the social media messages or no message (control). If users click on the message, a webpage with further information on screening will appear and participants will be asked to indicate intention to get screened for CRC. The primary outcome will be intention to screen and secondary outcomes will include other engagement metrics such as reach, cost-per-click, click-through rates, number of likes, number of impressions, and post comments.
This study will inform the feasibility of using social media for CRC screening and identify the most compelling CRC screening messages for the screen-eligible population.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 6
- Model description
- Pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Message #1 | Active comparator | Other: Social media message #1This arm will receive one of five social media messages that is preferred by our target population through focus groups that are being conducted as part of a previous study. |
| Message #2 | Active comparator | Other: Social media message #2This arm will receive the second social media message that is preferred by our target population as identified from our previous focus group study. |
| Message #3 | Active comparator | Other: Social media message #3This arm will receive the third social media message that is preferred by our target population as identified from our previous focus group study. |
| Arm #4 | Active comparator | Other: Social Media Message #4This arm will receive the fourth social media message that is preferred by our target population as identified from our previous focus group study. |
| Tailored Arm | Active comparator | Other: Tailored Social Media MessageThis arm will receive social media messages that will be tailored by sex. |
| Control Arm | No intervention | –This arm will not receive any intervention. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 55 to 64 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Facebook users in Ontario who are between 55-64 years of age
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Social media message #1Social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening | Other | Message #1 |
| Social media message #2A different social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening | Other | Message #2 |
| Social media message #3A different social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening | Other | Message #3 |
| Social Media Message #4A different social media message promoting colorectal cancer screening. | Other | Arm #4 |
| Tailored Social Media MessageTailored social media messages promoting colorectal cancer screening. | Other | Tailored Arm |
Primary outcome
Screening intention
Time frame: From date of randomization to end of data collection (1 month)
The proportion of individuals in each arm that click on the ad and confirm their intention to get screened for CRC
5 secondary outcomes
Cost-per-click
Time frame: From date of randomization to end of data collection (1 month)
Click-through-rate
Time frame: From date of randomization to the end of data collection (1 month)
Number of likes
Time frame: At the end of the study period at 1 month
Number of impressions
Time frame: At the end of the study period at 1 month
Post comments
Time frame: At the end of the study period at 1 month
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Nov 2024.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42133942Ruco A, Baker N, Howse M, Sorvari A, Jacobson J, Llovet D, Tinmouth J, Moineddin R, Baxter NN. Using Facebook to Improve Participation in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2026 May 14;15:e86829. doi: 10.2196/86829.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be available to share because the study results will not be at the individual-level and therefore this is not applicable.
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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.
Nancy N. Baxter, MD, FRCSC, FACS, PhD principal investigator
Unity Health Toronto
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Social media message #1, Social media message #2 and Social media message #3 in people with Colorectal Cancer and Cancer Screening, run by Unity Health Toronto at 1 site in Canada.
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 1 inclusion and 0 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Nov 2024. 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 Canada. 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?
Results are not available in the source record.
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?
Screening intention (time frame: From date of randomization to end of data collection (1 month)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04296630, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 4 Nov 2024.