Text Messages to Increase Attendance to Follow-up Cervical Cancer Screening Appointments Among HPV-positive Tanzanian Women (Connected2Care): Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial

Overview

Journal Trials

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties General Medicine
Pharmacology

Date 2017 Nov 23

PMID 29162148

Citations 16

Authors

Ditte S Linde

Marianne S Andersen

Julius D Mwaiselage

Rachel Manongi

Susanne K Kjaer

Vibeke Rasch

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is a major health concern in Tanzania, caused by poor attendance for cervical cancer screening and follow-up of women at risk. Mobile telephone health interventions are proven effective tools to improve health behaviour in African countries. So far, no knowledge exists on how such interventions may perform in relation to cervical cancer screening in low-income settings. This study aims to assess the degree to which a Short Message Service (SMS) intervention can increase attendance at appointments among women who have tested positive for high-risk (HR) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) during cervical cancer screening.

Methods/design: Connected2Care is a non-blinded, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. Tanzanian women testing positive to HR HPV at inclusion are randomly assigned in an allocation ratio of 1:1 to the SMS intervention or the control group (standard care). In a period of 10 months, the intervention group will receive 15 one-directional health educative text messages and SMS reminders for their appointment. The total sample size will be 700 with 350 women in each study arm. Primary outcome is attendance rate for follow-up. Secondary objectives are cost-effectiveness, measured through incremental ratios, and knowledge of cervical cancer by a 16-item true/false scale questionnaire at baseline and follow-up. Barriers against implementing the intervention will be assessed in a mixed-methods sub-population study.

Discussion: This study may provide information on the potential effects, costs, and barriers in implementing an SMS intervention targeting a group of women who are followed up after testing positive for HR HPV and are, therefore, at increased risk of developing cervical cancer. This can guide decision-makers on the effective use of mobile technology in a low-income setting. Trial status: recruiting.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02509702 . Registered on 15 June 2015.

Citing Articles

Development of a cervical cancer prevention text-messaging program for women living with HIV.

Ciceron A, Berg C, Clausen M, Jeon M, Abroms L, Le D Health Educ Res. 2023; 38(6):587-596.

PMID: 37436827 PMC: 11491630. DOI: 10.1093/her/cyad024.

Promoting follow-up attendance among mental health patients at a primary healthcare center in Lebanon: A randomized controlled trial.

Kontar J, Osseiran A, Makki F, El Chammay R SAGE Open Med. 2022; 10:20503121221135990.

PMID: 36385793 PMC: 9647270. DOI: 10.1177/20503121221135990.

Searching for the methylation sites involved in human papillomavirus type 16 and 18‑positive women with cervical cancer.

Ma Y, Wang C, Shi M, Li M, Li L, Che T Mol Clin Oncol. 2022; 17(4):149.

PMID: 36157320 PMC: 9468798. DOI: 10.3892/mco.2022.2582.

Acceptability of text messages and knowledge change for cervical cancer screening: a Tanzanian mixed methods study.

Lokke K, Rasch V, Mwaiselage J, Gammeltoft T, Sondergaard Linde D BMJ Open. 2022; 12(9):e058450.

PMID: 36123109 PMC: 9486230. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058450.

Comparison of the costs of HPV testing through community health campaigns versus home-based testing in rural Western Kenya: a microcosting study.

Olwanda E, Kahn J, Choi Y, Islam J, Huchko M BMJ Open. 2020; 10(10):e033979.

PMID: 33109637 PMC: 7592277. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033979.

References

Kileo N, Michael D, Neke N, Moshiro C . Utilization of cervical cancer screening services and its associated factors among primary school teachers in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. BMC Health Serv Res. 2015; 15:552. PMC: 4678732. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-015-1206-4. View

Lund S, Hemed M, Nielsen B, Said A, Said K, Makungu M . Mobile phones as a health communication tool to improve skilled attendance at delivery in Zanzibar: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. BJOG. 2012; 119(10):1256-64. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03413.x. View

van Schalkwyk S, Maree J, Dreyer Wright S . Cervical cancer: the route from signs and symptoms to treatment in South Africa. Reprod Health Matters. 2008; 16(32):9-17. DOI: 10.1016/S0968-8080(08)32399-4. View

Chung I, Kang E, Yom C, Kim D, Sun Y, Hwang Y . Effect of short message service as a reminder on breast self-examination in breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial. J Telemed Telecare. 2015; 21(3):144-50. DOI: 10.1177/1357633X15571651. View

Lyimo F, Beran T . Demographic, knowledge, attitudinal, and accessibility factors associated with uptake of cervical cancer screening among women in a rural district of Tanzania: three public policy implications. BMC Public Health. 2012; 12:22. PMC: 3299640. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-22. View

Odeny T, Bailey R, Bukusi E, Simoni J, Tapia K, Yuhas K . Text messaging to improve attendance at post-operative clinic visits after adult male circumcision for HIV prevention: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2012; 7(9):e43832. PMC: 3434192. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043832. View

Rogers E, Wallace L, Weiss B . Misperceptions of medical understanding in low-literacy patients: implications for cancer prevention. Cancer Control. 2006; 13(3):225-9. DOI: 10.1177/107327480601300311. View

Lund S, Nielsen B, Hemed M, Boas I, Said A, Said K . Mobile phones improve antenatal care attendance in Zanzibar: a cluster randomized controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14:29. PMC: 3898378. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-29. View

Kahesa C, Kjaer S, Mwaiselage J, Ngoma T, Tersbol B, Dartell M . Determinants of acceptance of cervical cancer screening in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. BMC Public Health. 2012; 12:1093. PMC: 3551792. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-1093. View

10.

Lester R, Ritvo P, Mills E, Kariri A, Karanja S, Chung M . Effects of a mobile phone short message service on antiretroviral treatment adherence in Kenya (WelTel Kenya1): a randomised trial. Lancet. 2010; 376(9755):1838-45. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61997-6. View

11.

Fesenfeld M, Hutubessy R, Jit M . Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination in low and middle income countries: a systematic review. Vaccine. 2013; 31(37):3786-804. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.06.060. View

12.

Pop-Eleches C, Thirumurthy H, Habyarimana J, Zivin J, Goldstein M, de Walque D . Mobile phone technologies improve adherence to antiretroviral treatment in a resource-limited setting: a randomized controlled trial of text message reminders. AIDS. 2011; 25(6):825-34. PMC: 3718389. DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32834380c1. View

13.

Zurovac D, Sudoi R, Akhwale W, Ndiritu M, Hamer D, Rowe A . The effect of mobile phone text-message reminders on Kenyan health workers' adherence to malaria treatment guidelines: a cluster randomised trial. Lancet. 2011; 378(9793):795-803. PMC: 3163847. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60783-6. View

14.

Dartell M, Rasch V, Kahesa C, Mwaiselage J, Ngoma T, Junge J . Human papillomavirus prevalence and type distribution in 3603 HIV-positive and HIV-negative women in the general population of Tanzania: the PROTECT study. Sex Transm Dis. 2012; 39(3):201-8. DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31823b50ad. View

15.

Wood K, Jewkes R, Abrahams N . Cleaning the womb: constructions of cervical screening and womb cancer among rural black women in South Africa. Soc Sci Med. 1997; 45(2):283-94. DOI: 10.1016/s0277-9536(96)00344-9. View

16.

Kerrison R, Shukla H, Cunningham D, Oyebode O, Friedman E . Text-message reminders increase uptake of routine breast screening appointments: a randomised controlled trial in a hard-to-reach population. Br J Cancer. 2015; 112(6):1005-10. PMC: 4366892. DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2015.36. View

17.

Hingle M, Snyder A, McKenzie N, Thomson C, Logan R, Ellison E . Effects of a short messaging service-based skin cancer prevention campaign in adolescents. Am J Prev Med. 2014; 47(5):617-23. PMC: 4205167. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.06.014. View

18.

Plotkin M, Besana G, Yuma S, Kim Y, Kulindwa Y, Kabole F . Integrating HIV testing into cervical cancer screening in Tanzania: an analysis of routine service delivery statistics. BMC Womens Health. 2014; 14:120. PMC: 4190378. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6874-14-120. View

19.

Dartell M, Rasch V, Iftner T, Kahesa C, Mwaiselage J, Junge J . Performance of visual inspection with acetic acid and human papillomavirus testing for detection of high-grade cervical lesions in HIV positive and HIV negative Tanzanian women. Int J Cancer. 2014; 135(4):896-904. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28712. View

20.

Kallander K, Tibenderana J, Akpogheneta O, Strachan D, Hill Z, ten Asbroek A . Mobile health (mHealth) approaches and lessons for increased performance and retention of community health workers in low- and middle-income countries: a review. J Med Internet Res. 2013; 15(1):e17. PMC: 3636306. DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2130. View