Promoting Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Members of Internet Health Communities

2009-2012

National Institutes of Health

Principal Investigator: Kevin Hwang, MD

The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test an online intervention to encourage at-risk members of two large Internet health communities to pursue colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in their local healthcare settings. Notable features include the potential to save lives by enhancing the adoption of CRC screening, efficiency and scalability of the intervention, and exploration of Internet health communities as a new frontier for community-based clinical research. The specific aims are to (1) conduct formative studies among the intended study population to understand their behaviors, attitudes, and barriers relevant to CRC screening, (2) develop the online CRC screening intervention with variations in intensity, and (3) conduct a pilot randomized trial in preparation for a definitive randomized trial. This is a K12 award from our Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences.