Screening CT Colonography: Multicenter Survey of Patient Experience, Preference, and Potential Impact on Adherence

• Main Authors: Pooler, B D, Baumel, Mark J, Cash, Brooks D, Moawad, Fouad J, Riddle, Mark S, Patrick, Amy M, Damiano, Mark, Lee, Matthew H, Kim, David H, Rio, Alejandro M del
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy and Physiology; COLON; COLON CANCER; COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY; CRC(COLORECTAL CANCER); CTC(COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY COLONOGRAPHY); Medicine and Medical Research; STATISTICAL ANALYSIS; SURVEYS

Prior research indicates CT colonography (CTC) would be a cost-effective colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test if widespread availability were to increase overall CRC screening adherence rates. The primary aims of this multicenter study were to evaluate patient experience and satisfaction with CTC screening and compare preference against screening colonoscopy. A 12-question survey instrument measuring pretest choice, experience, and satisfaction was given to a consecutive cohort of adults undergoing CTC screening in three disparate screening settings: university academic center, military medical center, and community practice. The study cohort was composed of individuals voluntarily participating in clinical CTC screening programs. A total of 1417 patients responded to the survey. The top reasons for choosing CTC for screening included noninvasiveness (68.0%), avoidance of sedation/anesthesia (63.1%), ability to drive after the test (49.2%), avoidance of optical colonoscopy risks (46.9%), and identifying abnormalities outside the colon (43.3%). Only 7.2% of patients reported pain during the CTC examination and only 2.5% reported greater than moderate discomfort. Of 441 patients who had experienced both CTC and optical colonoscopy, 77.1% preferred CTC and 13.8% preferred optical colonoscopy. Of all patients, 29.6% indicated that they may not have undergone optical colonoscopy screening if CTC were not available. Of all patients, 92.9% labeled their overall experience with CTC as excellent or good, and 93.0% indicated they would choose CTC for their next screening. Published in the American Journal of Roentgenology, v198 n6 p1361-1366, Jun 2012. The original document contains color images. Prepared in collaboration with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, and the Enteric Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD. Prepared in cooperation with the 1Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, the Colon Health Centers of America, Mendenhall, PA, and Mid-Atlantic GI Consultants and Colon Health Center of Delaware, Newark.