Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Inclusion criteria for the study design were not explicitly stated. However, reviews and opinion articles were excluded from the review. The included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical studies, before-and-after studies and time series.
Specific interventions included in the review
Inclusion criteria for the interventions were not explicitly defined, but it was clear that studies evaluating information technology in primary care offices were eligible. Studies of new technologies were excluded from the review, as were studies of interventions employed in a health context not readily available in the USA. The included studies all employed the mailing of some form of reminder to either the patients or the providers. Control interventions included in the review were usual care, visit reminders, patient preventive health care questionnaire, more limited reminders, no prompting, manual flow sheets, staff education and financial recompense for expenses. All of the included studies used opportunistic screening rather than being limited to periodic or health maintenance appointments. The duration of the intervention in the included studies ranged from 6 months to 5 years. Over half of the interventions took place in academic settings or training sites.
Participants included in the review
Inclusion criteria for the participants were not defined. The included studies targeted breast cancer, cervical cancer or colorectal cancer, and focused primarily on either the patient or the provider.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Inclusion criteria for the outcomes were not defined. The included studies appeared to assess the take-up rate of tests for the condition targeted, but this was not explicitly reported in the review.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
Three reviewers independently assessed the identified studies for relevance.