Perspectives of attenders and non-attenders to SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic community testing in England: a qualitative interview study.

OBJECTIVES: In December 2020, Derbyshire County Council in England introduced 'walk-in' asymptomatic community COVID-19 testing sites. Our study aimed to explore people's views of the newly established COVID-19 community testing (CT) sites among those who attended and those who did not attend them, alongside gathering individuals' experiences of attending a CT site to complete a lateral flow test. SETTING: This qualitative research study comprised of one-to-one interviews with those attending a COVID-19 CT sites in Derbyshire and those from the surrounding area who did not attend. PARTICIPANTS: A combination of purposive and convenience sampling was used to recruit those who had (n=18) and those who had not attended (n=15) a walk-in asymptomatic CT site. RESULTS: Employers played a key role in raising awareness of the testing sites, with most attending CT at the request of their workplace. The experience of attending a CT site was overwhelmingly positive and those who got tested spoke about the reassurance a negative result offered, knowing they were not passing on the virus when going about their daily lives. However, there was a perception that awareness of CT sites was low across the county and some confusion about who was eligible to attend and under what circumstances. Individuals linked this to low level of advertising they had seen, in addition to a lack of clarity in the information provided. CONCLUSIONS: People's experience of attending a 'walk-in' asymptomatic CT site in Derbyshire was generally very positive; however, ensuring clear communication for future testing programmes is essential to maximise their uptake.

Market segmentation tools provide insights into demographic variations in bowel cancer screening uptake.

BACKGROUND: The National Health Service Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NHS BCSP) aims to detect individuals who have precancerous polyps or early stage cancer, when it is easier to treat. To be effective, a screening uptake of at least 52% is required. Variations in uptake by demographic characteristic are reported and the aim of this study was to better understand who participates in the NHS BCSP, to inform action to address inequalities in screening uptake. METHODS: Invitation-level data for the Derbyshire population were supplied by the NHS BCSP Eastern Hub for the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2016. Data were linked by postal code to the Mosaic Public Sector Segmentation tool. Descriptive analysis using 14 groups and 61 types within Mosaic was undertaken to offer insight into the demographic, lifestyle and behavioural traits of people living in small geographies against their screening uptake, with a particular focus on identifying population groups with an uptake below 52% and so at risk of health inequalities. RESULTS: 180 176 screening invitations were dispatched with an overall uptake of 60.55%. Six Mosaic groups have an uptake below the 52% acceptable level: urban cohesion, rental hubs, transient renters, family basics, vintage value and municipal tenants. These groups are characterised by high levels of social-rented accommodation, multicultural urban communities and transient populations. CONCLUSION: Segmentation tools offer an effective way to generate novel insights into bowel cancer screening uptake and develop tailored strategies for working with identified communities to increase participation.