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Published on: August 1, 2019
The Impact of a Smartphone App on the Quality of Pediatric Colonoscopy Preparations: Randomized Controlled Trial
James Brief1, Anupama Chawla1, Diana Lerner2
1Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Stony Brook, NY, United States.
Insights
A smartphone app improved pediatric colonoscopy preparation quality compared to paper instructions. While app use led to more "excellent" preps, it did not significantly impact patient knowledge or clinic calls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Medical Technology
- Clinical Trial Research
Background:
- Smartphone apps have proven effective for adult colonoscopy preparation.
- Pediatric colonoscopy preparation effectiveness using smartphone apps remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone application (SB Colonoscopy Prep) in pediatric colonoscopy preparation.
- To compare app-based guidance against traditional paper instructions for children aged 5-18.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 46 pediatric patients (5-18 years) using either an app or written materials for colonoscopy preparation.
- Data collected included prep quality (Boston scale), calls to gastroenterology, and patient arrival times.
- Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires assessed patient knowledge.
Main Results:
- App users achieved significantly higher Boston scores, indicating superior colonoscopy preparation quality (7.2 vs 5.9, P=.02).
- 75% of app users had "excellent" preps compared to 41% of those using written instructions.
- No significant differences were observed in patient knowledge, clinic calls, or arrival times between groups.
Conclusions:
- Smartphone app intervention is associated with improved colonoscopy prep quality in pediatric patients.
- The app did not significantly enhance patient knowledge or reduce healthcare system interactions.
- Further research may explore optimizing app features for broader benefits.
Background:
Smartphone apps have been successfully used to help adults prepare for colonoscopies. However, no study to date has investigated the effect of a smartphone app on pediatric colonoscopy preparation.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to determine if an app (SB Colonoscopy Prep) designed to educate and guide patients through their colonoscopy preparation will yield benefits over paper-based instructions and information.
Methods:
In total, 46 patients aged 5-18 years received either app-based or written material with instructions on how to take their prep medications as well as information about the colonoscopy procedure. Prep quality, the number of calls to the gastroenterology service, and patient arrival time were recorded. After the procedure, a questionnaire was given to each patient through which they graded their knowledge of the procedure both before and after receiving the app or written material.
Results:
App users had higher mean Boston scores versus control subjects receiving written instructions (7.2 vs 5.9, P=.02), indicating better colonoscopy preps. In total, 75% (15/20) of app users and 41% (9/22) of written instruction users had preps categorized as "excellent" on the Boston scale. We found no significant differences in knowledge about the procedure (app users: 10/20 [50%], written instruction users 8/22 [36%]; P=.37), phone calls to the gastroenterology clinic (n=6 vs n=2; P=.27), or arrival times at the endoscopy suite (44 min vs 46 min before the scheduled procedure time; P=.56).
Conclusions:
Smartphone app use was associated with an increased number of colonoscopy preps classified as "excellent" on the Boston scale. There was no significant difference between app users and the control group regarding the number of calls to the gastroenterology clinic, patient arrival time, or patient knowledge about the procedure.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04590105; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04590105.
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