An Educational Intervention to Improve Patient Outcomes for Colonoscopy

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Education

Background:

• Inadequate bowel preparation is a significant issue for inpatient colonoscopies.
• This leads to procedure failures and repeat examinations.
• Inpatients face unique challenges in achieving optimal bowel preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on inpatient bowel preparation quality.
• To assess improvements in patient satisfaction and understanding of bowel preparation protocols.
• To determine the effect of staff education on colonoscopy success rates.

Main Methods:

• A pre-intervention survey assessed inpatient colonoscopy preparation.
• Multidisciplinary staff, including 70% of registered nurses, received educational in-services.
• Post-intervention surveys evaluated patient outcomes and preparation quality.

Main Results:

• Patient perception of education varied based on prior experiences.
• Highest preparation scores were achieved when educated by physicians and registered nurses.
• The intervention decreased aborted colonoscopies by 22% and increased Boston Bowel Preparation Scale utilization to 100%.

Conclusions:

• Targeted staff education significantly enhances inpatient bowel preparation.
• Improved preparation leads to increased patient satisfaction and procedural success.
• This intervention can reduce incomplete colonoscopies, repeat procedures, and associated healthcare costs.