Endoscopy Care Pathways
Within the suite of tests for colorectal cancer screening, only colonoscopy allows for both the identification, and removal of colonic polyps. Given that the removal of polyps is associated with up to a 90% reduction in colorectal cancer mortality, the success of colonoscopy is of paramount importance.
Successful and efficient colonoscopy requires that patients effectively prepare using bowel preparation. Poor bowel preparation by patients has both clinical, and financial implications including:
- Reduction in polyp detection rate
- Increased time spent completing procedures
- Increase in cost of care by 22%
Arizona Centers for Digestive Health (AZCDH) have been utilizing a Digital Endoscopy Pathway customized for their site to help reduce the number of aborted procedures, improve bowel preparation, and increase patient satisfaction. All three of these outcomes have knock-on financial benefits as well as the primary aim of improved patient care
AZCDH patients are prescribed a digital endoscopy pathway which commences 2 weeks prior to their scheduled procedure time. Patients are guided through a series of steps that includes patient education to ultimately improve bowel preparation.
34%
Improvement in bowel preparation
Significant improvement in good/excellent bowel preparation from 64% to 87% (p<0.05)
50%
Reduction in aborted procedures
Rx.Health’s digital endoscopy patient pathway reduced the rate of aborted procedures by more than half
92.6%
Patient Satisfaction
Patients “strongly agreed” and “agreed” that the digital endoscopy pathway was helpful in preparing for colonoscopy
Take Aways
Our study looking into the quality of bowel preparation, number of aborted procedures, and patient satisfaction clearly shows the value of digital navigation prior to colonoscopy.
