Patient Education After Inadequate Bowel Preparation: Improving Care and Outcomes

A colonoscopy is recommended for prevention and early detection of colorectal cancers. A high-quality bowel preparation is associated with adequate polyp detection and one of the colonoscopy preparation quality measures. However, many patients arrive for colonoscopy appointments with inadequate bowel preparation, and approximately 20% of patients with colonoscopy failure were not adherent to instructions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether using a questionnaire would improve the outcomes of patient education and proper bowel preparation.

Charts were reviewed to develop a patient questionnaire. A mix of open-and closed-ended, patient-centered questions were developed to further patient education in a time-efficient manner and achieve consistent responses for determining barriers and issues, improve documentation, and then assist the patient in achieving a good-to-excellent quality bowel preparation.

Proper cleansing instructions as well as identifying and overcoming barriers to achieving adequate bowel preparation for colonoscopy can result in improved patient satisfaction, care quality, and cost savings.