Low uptake of cancer screening services is a global concern. Our aim was to understand factors that influence the screening decision, including screening and treatment subsidies and a gain-frame message designed to present screening as a win–win.
We analyzed preferences for mammography and Pap smear among women in Singapore by means of discrete choice experiments while randomly exposing half of respondents to a gain-framed public health message promoting the benefits of screening.
Results showed that the message did not influence stated uptake, and given the levels shown, respondents were influenced more by treatment attributes, including effectiveness and out-of-pocket cost should they test positive, than by screening attributes, including the offer of a monetary incentive for screening. Respondents also underestimated the survival chances of screen-detected breast and cervical cancers.
Combined, these findings suggest that correcting misconceptions about screen-detected cancer prognosis or providing greater financial protection for those who test positive could be more effective and more cost-effective than subsidizing screening directly in increasing screening uptakes.