The present randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine if providing access to an educational colorectal cancer Website for patients with colorectal cancer might increase their subsequent participation in a population-based cancer study. A total of 384 potential participants recruited from colorectal cancer cases identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry and the Mount Sinai
Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was mailed an invitation package containing a brochure describing a population-based cancer registry (the
Ontario Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry, OFCCR), a family history questionnaire, and a colorectal cancer educational pamphlet. The intervention group was mailed the information for access to a colorectal cancer educational Website in addition to the materials sent to the control group. Results indicated that providing access information to an educational Website about colorectal cancer did not increase the participation of colorectal cancer patients in a population-based cancer study. The
participation for the intervention group (66%) was not significantly different (p=0.38) from the control group (62%). The additional provision of a Website with colorectal cancer information to patients
appears not to be an effective strategy to improve subsequent participation in a population-based cancer study.
