The investigators goal is to improve bowel preparations with an educational video on the Center for Digestive Disorders (CDD) website that explains the steps required for bowel preparation for those patients undergoing screening colonoscopies. The video will focus on explaining the purpose of a screening colonoscopy, the rationale for bowel preparation, the pre-colonoscopy diet, and the instructions for completing the laxative. In a randomized fashion, patients in the control group will receive the standard written bowel preparation instructions, while patients in the intervention group will receive standard written instructions plus a link to watch the instructional video. The investigators hypothesize that an educational tool that provides visual examples of a good and poor preparation, examples of the pre-colonoscopy diet, and an explanation of how to administer the laxative will lead to improved patient compliance and a better bowel preparation. In addition, the investigators hypothesize that a better quality bowel preparation will improve detection of colonic polyps and fewer recommendations for repeat colonoscopy based solely on inadequate bowel preparation.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
2,000
Instructions to view an educational video about preparing for a colonoscopy
Written instructions on preparing for a colonoscopy
Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Quality of bowel preparation
The primary outcome will be the endoscopist's assessment of the quality of preparation using a standardized bowel preparation scale
Time frame: Day of colonoscopy only
Histology of polyp
number of adenomatous polyps
Time frame: one week after colonoscopy
Colonoscope insertion and withdrawal times
time from insertion to cecum and time from cecum to anus
Time frame: Day of colonoscopy only
Patient compliance
Patient compliance with preparation instructions self-reported in a pre-procedure questionnaire
Time frame: Day of colonoscopy only
Preparation associated side effects
Presence and severity of preparation associated side effects including: blaoting, abdominal pain, and nausea/vomiting
Time frame: Day of colonoscopy only
Patient satisfaction
patient's perception of the helpfulness of the video as self-reported on a pre-procedure questionnaire.
Time frame: Day of colonoscopy only
Number of repeat colonoscopies due to inadequate bowel preparation
Blinded endoscopist's assesment about the need for a repeat colonoscopy due to inadequate bowel preparation
Time frame: Day of colonoscopy only
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