Building Engagement Using Financial Incentives for Colorectal Cancer Screening (BENEFIT-C) in a Rural Louisiana Federally Qualified Health Center
In brief
Financial incentives raised screening from 32% to 68% in rural pilot
In a 50-person randomized pilot at a rural Louisiana health center, 68% of patients offered incentives for colorectal cancer screening completed it within two months, compared with 32% of controls. The small, short-term study supports testing this approach more widely, but larger trials must confirm the effect and assess cost-effectiveness.
- Journal
- Health services research (Q1)
- Published
- 22 July 2025
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1b)
- Authors
- Laura M Perry, Erin Peacock, Angela LeBlanc, LaKeisha Williams, Gary Wiltz, Marie Krousel-Wood
- PMID
- 42853034
- DOI
- 10.1111/1475-6773.70011
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Gastroenterology (top studies of the week, 11 October 2026): Financial incentives significantly increased completion of CRC screening
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of a community-engaged financial incentive intervention for increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in a rural, low-resource primary care setting. STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN: A feasibility pilot trial at a federally qualified health center in the Acadiana region, Louisiana. Participants were identified via electronic health records (EHR), recruited by telephone, and randomized to intervention (n = 25) or control (n = 25). Both groups received incentives for flu and COVID-19 vaccines. The intervention group also received incentives for CRC screening. Fisher's Exact tests evaluated between-group differences in completion of CRC screening (primary outcome), flu, and COVID-19 vaccines 2 months post-enrollment. DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE: Eligible patients were aged 45-75, due for CRC screening, and English-speaking. From November 11, 2023 to March 31, 2024, completion of each outcome was obtained from the EHR. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 57% of interested individuals were eligible; 94% of eligible individuals enrolled. Participants were 70% female, 42% Black, 24% uninsured, with a mean age of 52.4 years. Completion of CRC screening was higher in the intervention versus control group (17 [68%] vs. 8 [32%], p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Financial incentives significantly increased completion of CRC screening. Future research should confirm findings in larger samples and evaluate cost-effectiveness to inform health system policies.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.