A Smartphone-Based Intervention to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening in African American Men

Reducing Colorectal Cancer Health Disparities: An mHealth Intervention to Improve Screening Among African American Men

The goal of this clinical trial is to test a new smartphone-based program designed to help African American men get screened for colorectal cancer (CRC). The main question it aims to answer is:

° Are African American men who complete the smartphone-based program more likely to get screened for colorectal cancer than men who do not?

Participants will:

• Complete a baseline survey asking about their colorectal cancer screening history and their thoughts and beliefs about colorectal cancer and the medical system.
• Be randomized to receive the new smartphone-based program or to receive text messages containing colorectal cancer education materials designed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The new program sends text messages with information about colorectal cancer. Some of these text messages have links to videos that try to help men overcome anything that may stand in the way of getting screened.
• Complete a follow-up survey 6 months after the baseline survey. This survey will ask the same questions as the baseline survey.
• A medical records review will be conducted at 6 months to verify whether participants received a colorectal cancer screening test during the study period.

Researchers will compare participants who receive the new smartphone-based program to participants who receive the CDC information. The goal is to see whether the smartphone-based program increasing screening more than standard educational materials available on the internet.

Inclusion Criteria:

• African American/Black
• not compliant with current United States Preventive Services Taskforce colorectal cancer screening recommendations
• owns a mobile phone capable of text messaging and accessing webpages
• able to speak/understand English

Exclusion Criteria:

• personal history of colorectal cancer