An Automated Text Message Navigation Program Improves the Show Rate for Outpatient Colonoscopy

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Health Informatics
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Barriers to outpatient colonoscopy completion lead to cancellations and poor bowel preparation.
• Colonoscopy adherence is crucial for effective colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis.
• Improving patient adherence is a key challenge in endoscopy centers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a text message navigation program to enhance colonoscopy adherence.
• To evaluate the impact of automated, bidirectional text messages on patient compliance.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of digital health interventions in endoscopy.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study comparing an intervention arm (text messages) with a usual care arm.
• Patients aged 18-75 scheduled for outpatient colonoscopy at an urban endoscopy center.
• Outcomes measured: colonoscopy appointment adherence, bowel preparation quality, and procedure completion.

Main Results:

• Intervention group showed significantly higher colonoscopy appointment adherence (90% vs. 62%, p=0.049).
• No significant differences were observed in bowel preparation quality or colonoscopy completion rates.
• High patient satisfaction and perceived usefulness of the text message program were reported.

Conclusions:

• A bidirectional, automated texting navigation program effectively improved colonoscopy adherence.
• Text message interventions represent a promising strategy to overcome adherence barriers in outpatient procedures.
• Further research can explore optimizing digital tools for enhanced patient compliance in healthcare.