Increasing appropriate screening for colorectal cancer patients and their first degree relatives. A randomised controlled trial.

Interventions: People with bowel cancer and their first degree relatives will be allocated to an intervention or minimal ethical care group. Those in the intervention group will be posted a detailed information booklet about screening tests recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). A corresponding information booklet will also be mailed to their General Practitioner (GP) and for index cases only, cancer surgeon. This tailored advice on screening will be provided to participants and their clinicians within 4 weeks of recruitment, and 12 and 24 months later.
Primary outcome(s): Proportion of first degree relatives and index cases who have screening in line with NHMRC guideline recommendations will be assessed through self-report.
Accuracy of self-report will be tested for a random sub-sample. This will be carried out by cross-checking self-reported screening with clinician records.[Measured at baseline, 12, 24 and 36 months after intervention.]
Study Design: Purpose: Prevention; Allocation: Randomised controlled trial; Masking: Open (masking not used);Type of endpoint: Efficacy