Patient preference and acceptance with sodium phosphate tablet preparation for colonoscopy

Background Colonoscopy is considered the primary procedure for colorectal cancer screening and prevention. However patient acceptance of this procedure has been poor. A major deterrent for patients is the need for a large-volume (4-l) preprocedure colonic preparation (polyethylene glycol [PEG] solution) that can be associated with a bad taste. Aim To determine patient preference and acceptance of the NaP tablet preparation in patients who have previously used PEG solutions for their prior colonoscopy exams. Methods Patients who had used a standard 4-l PEG solution preparation for a colonoscopy within the past 12 months and who were scheduled for a repeat colonoscopy were invited to participate in this study. A preprocedural questionnaire was administered to the patients. The primary outcome measure was whether the patient indicated a preference for the NaP tablet preparation over the previous PEG solution. Results Thirty-five of 53 participants (66%) who completed the study preferred the NaP tablet preparation over 4-l PEG. A majority of patients also indicated that they would use the NaP tablet preparation again and would like to have a choice of preparation for their next colonoscopy. Conclusions Among patients who previously used a 4-l PEG preparation for colon cleansing and participated in this study, 66% of patients preferred the NaP tablet preparation over the PEG preparation for their colonoscopy.