Phase One: Increasing Cancer Screening Uptake

Across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw, there is an inbalance when it comes to cancer screening attendance. The Alliance commissioned an expert team fom Caja to apply a Behavioural Science approach to encourage those in areas of low attendance to access cancer screening services.

Behavioural Science is based on the study of “human habits, actions, and intentions” and spans the fields of psychology, HR, economics, and organisational behaviour. It recognises that traditional approaches – such as simply educating or informing people – do not work as well as we previously thought, and incorporates a much wider set of factors. For example:

1. Who communicates the information – doctors and nurses who have authority mean the information holds more trust and respect (MESSENGER)
2. How people are influenced by what others do (NORMS)
3. What will be gained and, more importantly, what could be lost (INCENTIVES)
4. How relevant or novel the information is (SALIENCE)
5. How the information makes people feel about themselves (EGO)

Click here to watch the Introduction to Behavioural Science video as a taster to the behavioural science concepts.

The slide set below details the Nudge the Odds programme to increase cancer screening across SYB, and shares the learning from the trial practices demonstrating how the behavioural science resources increased cancer screening attendance. 

Behaviour Science Nudge intervention resources developed to support increased attendance for the Cancer screening programmes are available below. To access each resource click on the chosen resource to download. 

If you are interested in further information please click on the How to Guides, below which give details of the Behavioural Science conecpts used in each intervention.