Educational Colonoscopy Video Enhances Bowel Preparation Quality and Comprehension in an Inner City Population

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Public Health
• Medical Education

Background:

• Bowel preparation quality and patient knowledge are critical barriers to colorectal cancer screening completion.
• Existing educational methods like interactive programs and brochures have limited impact.
• Previous studies on instructional videos focused on compliance and anxiety, not preparation quality or procedural understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a brief instructional colonoscopy video on bowel preparation quality and patient knowledge.
• To assess the effectiveness of an educational video in a diverse, underserved patient population undergoing screening colonoscopy.

Main Methods:

• A single-blinded, prospective study randomized 104 patients to watch either a colonoscopy video or a GERD video.
• Patients completed a knowledge quiz post-video and bowel preparation quality was assessed using the Ottawa scale.
• Demographic data and preparation details were collected; patients were enrolled if screened within 30 days.

Main Results:

• The colonoscopy video group demonstrated significantly better Ottawa bowel preparation scores (4.77 vs. 6.85, P=0.01) compared to the GERD group.
• Inadequate repeat bowel preparations were significantly lower in the colonoscopy video group (9% vs. 23%, P<0.01).
• Patients who watched the colonoscopy video scored significantly higher on the knowledge questionnaire (12.77 vs. 11.08, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

• A 6-minute instructional video significantly improved bowel preparation quality and patient understanding in an under-educated, minority population.
• The video intervention led to a >23% increase in excellent preparation quality and nearly 50% reduction in inadequate preparations.
• Educational videos are a high-yield tool for enhancing comprehension and procedural success in diverse patient groups for colonoscopy.