Colonoscopy video improves patient compliance

Patients who watch an online instructional video about their upcoming colonoscopy screening are more likely to keep their appointments, according to a study presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2012 meeting in San Diego.

Researchers from the University of Chicago found that patients ages 50 to 65 years (the prime target age group for screening) were 40% less likely to cancel an appointment if they had watched the video, suggesting that more patients could be screened if more instruction were provided.

In the U.S., only 53% of patients follow recommended colorectal cancer screening guidelines, and surveys show that only 23% to 58% of patients who schedule an exam actually keep their appointments.

The half-hour video explains how colonoscopy is performed, why preparation is necessary, and how to weigh the risks and benefits, gastroenterologist Dr. Archita Desai and colleagues said.

The study compared 1,740 patients referred by their primary care physicians for a colonoscopy at the facility in 2009 and 2010 -- before the video was available -- to 1,415 patients referred in 2010 and 2011 after it became available. More than three-fourths of patients with access to the video watched it all the way through, the researchers said.