Impact of Protect Your Colon™ on CRC Screening

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Impact of Protect Your Colon™ on Colorectal Cancer Screening Behaviors

The purpose of the research is to assess the impact of Protect Your Colon™, a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening decision aid, on patients' CRC screening behaviors. The Investigators hypothesize that Protect Your Colon™, through optimizing shared decision making, will lead to selection of a test that accurately matches patients' values and increase CRC screening uptake. To test this hypothesis, the investigators will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess if provision of Protect Your Colon™ improves communication on CRC screening, intent to complete screening, and ultimately uptake of screening vs. usual care.

Patients randomized to Protect Your Colon™ will be directed to go through the website at least 2 days before their clinic appointment. Those who finish the decision aid will then review their personalized report which details their priorities in selecting a screening test as well as the test that best matches their values. Patients will also be encouraged to bring their personalized report with them to the visit to discuss with their doctor. All intervention participants will also receive a reminder via email one day before their scheduled clinic visit. They will be reminded to go through the Protect Your Colon™ website before the clinic visit and to bring their personalized report with them to the visit.

The usual care group will be managed according to the providers' customary practices: CRC screening discussions, if any, are at the discretion of the provider as Cedars-Sinai does not employ a standardized approach. Patients randomized to the control arm will not be sent any materials before their clinic appointment.

Protect Your Colon™ is an online decision aid focused on CRC screening. The site will first educate patients on the importance of CRC screening and offer information on the advantages and disadvantages of the available test options. Protect Your Colon™ will then present an interactive conjoint analysis-a quantitative survey technique that elucidates how individuals make complex decisions-to precisely determine individuals' latent preferences regarding CRC screening options. Afterwards, the app will generate a personalized report that rank orders the importance of each test attribute (e.g., accuracy, invasiveness, test frequency) in patients' decision making and identifies the screening modality that best matches their preferences. The report will also be shareable with physicians, enabling patients and providers to engage in shared decision making surrounding CRC screening in the clinic.

Completion of questionnaire that looks at: Whether CRC screening discussions took place during the visit What specific CRC screening tests were discussed during the visit Patient's intent to complete CRC screening Patient's perceptions on feeling informed about the alternatives, benefits, and risks of the different screening options as well as their clarity on their personal values Patient's assessment of shared decision making on CRC screening Intervention patients' assessment of the usefulness of Protect Your Colon™

Inclusion Criteria: Individuals 45 to 75 years old No prior CRC screening Not at high risk for CRC (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, colon polyposis syndromes, family history of CRC) Exclusion Criteria: Does not speak English Does not have internet access Any records flagged "break the glass" or "research opt out."

The data that support the findings of this study will be available from the principal investigator (Christopher V. Almario) upon reasonable request.

The data that support the findings of this study will be available from the principal investigator (Christopher V. Almario) upon reasonable request.