A study published in the journal Gut found patients were less likely to comply to a split-dose bowel preparation regimen before colonoscopy if they had an early morning procedure, long travel time, poor education level or if they were women.
Franco Radaelli, MD, from the division of gastroenterology at Valduce Hospital in Italy, and colleagues enrolled 1,447 patients undergoing colonoscopy in an outpatient setting who were given written instructions on a bowel preparation and a choice between a split-dose and day-before regimen.
Here are five points:
1. Overall, 61.7 percent of patients chose the split-dose regimen.
2. Researchers observed a linear correlation between the time of the appointment and adherence to the split-dose regimen (27.3 percent of patients at 8:00 a.m. vs. 96 percent of patients at 2:00 p.m.).
3. Analysis showed inverse correlations between split-dose adherence and appointments before 10:00 a.m., more than an hour of travel time to the appointment, low education level and the female sex.
4. Patients who completed bowel prep were significantly more likely to repeat the split-dose regimen versus the day-before regimen, and the split-dose group also had significantly better quality of sleep.
5. The risk for travel interruption (2.4 percent) and fecal incontinence (1.2 percent) was slightly increased in the split-dose group.