Factors affecting colonoscopy comfort and compliance: a questionnaire based multicenter study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Public Health
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Colonoscopy is crucial for colorectal cancer screening, reducing mortality and incidence.
• Patient reluctance due to discomfort and unpleasantness hinders colonoscopy uptake and follow-up.
• Identifying factors influencing patient comfort is key to improving adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient-related factors affecting comfort during colonoscopy.
• To analyze questionnaire responses to understand patient perceptions.
• To inform strategies for improving the colonoscopy experience.

Main Methods:

• A validated questionnaire assessed pre-procedure anxiety, satisfaction with information, and perceived benefits.
• 452 patients undergoing sedated colonoscopy participated.
• Multivariate logistic regression analyzed factors associated with comfort, measured on a visual analog scale.

Main Results:

• Older age, higher satisfaction with information, and lower pre-procedure anxiety correlated with increased comfort.
• 70.2% of patients found pre-procedure information insufficient.
• Education, prior colonoscopy, gender, and bowel prep quality did not significantly impact comfort.

Conclusions:

• Patient comfort is strongly linked to satisfaction with pre-procedure information.
• Enhanced physician availability and patient interaction may reduce the perceived burden of colonoscopy.
• Improving patient comfort can increase participation in screening and surveillance programs.