Background: Australian guidelines were recently changed to include a recommendation that all people aged 50-70 years old actively consider taking daily low-dose aspirin (100–300mg per day) for 2.5 to 5 years to reduce their risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). In 2019, we were funded to conduct a trial in general practice to test the efficacy of a health consultation and novel decision aid to implement these aspirin guidelines: the Should I Take Aspirin (SITA) trial.
The COVID-19 pandemic restricted our ability to recruit patients in general practice waiting rooms. We developed a novel teletrial model to allow us to continue the recruitment during the pandemic.
Methods: General practices in Victoria, Australia were recruited into the trial. We recruited 50-70 years old patients, who had an appointment with their general practitioner (GP). Usually, we would approach patients in the waiting room, and invite them to the study. The new teletrial method involved calling patients who were scheduled for an appointment and checking their eligibility over the phone. We developed videos of the intervention to deliver the trial in a standardised way which could be presented face-to-face or via a zoom teletrial consultation.
Results: Six general practices in Victoria, Australia have been recruited into the trial. Between October 2020 and April 2021, we screened 566 patients for eligibility, 532 (94%) by telephone and we approached 34 patients in the waiting rooms. We successfully recruited 264 people (87% of eligible patients). We delivered the trial consultations using the teletrial model for 57 (20%) participants.
Discussion: We have developed an effective teletrial model for the SITA trial which has allowed us to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now applying this to other trials in general practice as an effective approach to increase participation and improve the external validity of our research.