Authors (including presenting author) :
Shek KK
Affiliation :
Department of Surgery, United Christian Hospital
Introduction :
Colonoscopy is the gold standard of detecting colorectal cancer. Adequate bowel preparation of colonoscopy is a determining factor to facilitate the detection of polyps to improve the cure rate of colorectal cancer. Several studies indicated that using a smartphone application (App) to provide education improves patients’ bowel preparation quality.
Objectives :
The objective of this review is to examine the evidence on providing education via App(s) to improve quality of bowel preparation for patients undergoing colonoscopy.
Methodology :
A systematic review was conducted using electronic databases including PubMed, British Nursing Index, EMBASE, Ovid and MEDLINE between October 2021 and February 2022. “Colonoscopy”; “instruction”; “education”; “mobile application”; “smartphone application” and “quality of bowel preparation” were the keywords used for literature searching. Four studies were selected for data extraction and critically appraised using The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Checklist. Findings are extracted and summarized.
Result & Outcome :
Based on the four high-quality studies, it is concluded that providing education via a smartphone App for patients undergoing outpatient colonoscopy is effective in improving the bowel preparation quality. The four randomized controlled trials reported a significant statistically difference (P<0.05) in the means of the total score in all colonic segments, using both the Ottawa scale and BBPS score. The rate of adequate bowel preparation also showed statistically significant results (P<0.05) between the intervention and control groups. Patient guidance and education are modifiable factors to ensure adequate preparation. Using smartphone App as a means of information delivery does not require extra cost but in the meantime increases patients’ acceptance and accessibility to the bowel preparation procedure. The selected studies provide consistent evidence to show that this mode of patient education has high potential to bridge the service gap and improve healthcare outcomes. An evidence-based practice guideline on implementing this intervention is recommended.
