Interacting effects of preoperative information and patient choice in adaptation to colonoscopy

The aim of this study was to match patient information requirements by determining whether giving patients a choice for additional preprocedural audiovisual information modifies the effectiveness of this information on anxiety, worry, knowledge, and patient satisfaction.

Patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy were approached one week before their procedure. All patients received an information leaflet during their standard preanesthetic clinic visit. Patients were randomly assigned to a choice or no-choice condition. Patients in the choice condition were free to watch or not watch the video, people in the no-choice condition were further randomized to watch or not watch the video. Measures of anxiety and worry were completed before watching the video. Anxiety, worry, knowledge, and satisfaction were measured one week later just before the colonoscopy.

One hundred sixty-six patients completed the study. Of those patients randomized to the choice condition, 69 percent wanted to watch the video. Those who chose not to watch the video were significantly more worried on the day of their procedure. Consistent with current evidence, watching the video was associated with improvements in short-term knowledge (F(1,161) = 4.8, P = 0.03). There was, however, no significant effect of the choice or video conditions on anxiety or patient satisfaction.

There appears to be no additional benefits in terms of patient outcomes by allowing patients to choose whether they want additional audiovisual information. We suggest that all patients undergoing colonoscopy would benefit from watching such an educational video in the week before their procedure.