None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
We have conducted a RCT sub-study within the recruitment phase of a larger project utilising an Australian Cancer Registry to recruit survivors of a haematological study. This sub-study aimed to test the effect of two different patient invitation and reminder letters on participation rates to the study from patients. The first invitation and reminder letters were the standard letters sent by the Cancer Registry. Patients receiving this letter acted as the control arm of the intervention. The second invitation and reminder letters were modified versions of the standard letters incorporating specific changes to wording and formatting which have been identified as potentially increasing suitability, readability and legibility.
Interventions
The intervention strategy is a modified version of the standard invitation and reminder letters sent from the Cancer Registry. The intervention letters are modified by incorporating specific changes to wording and formatting which have been identified as potentially increasing suitability, readability and legibility of written communication. Patients receiving the modified letters will make up the experimental arm of the study. Both the enhanced letter (intervention strategy) and the standard le
The intervention strategy is a modified version of the standard invitation and reminder letters sent from the Cancer Registry. The intervention letters are modified by incorporating specific changes to wording and formatting which have been identified as potentially increasing suitability, readability and legibility of written communication. Patients receiving the modified letters will make up the experimental arm of the study. Both the enhanced letter (intervention strategy) and the standard letter (control) were sent to participants via mail. Mailing of the invitation letters was carried out over several days. If participants had not responded to the invitation letter approximately 4 weeks after they were mailed a reminder letter (an enhanced reminder for the intervention group and the standard reminder letter for the control group) was sent to non-responders via mail. Again mailing of the reminder letters occurred over several days.
Sponsors
University of Newcastle
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants were survivors identified by the Cancer Registry as: * Having been diagnosed between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2010 * Diagnosed with a blood cancer (including leukaemias, lymphomas and myelomas) * Aged between 18 and 80 years. * Alive.
Exclusion criteria
Survivors were ineligible to participate if they were: * Deceased; * Had previously indicated to the Cancer Registry that they did not wish to be contacted about participating in research studies; * Were uncontactable.
Outcome results
None listed