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The following is a summary of “Smartphone Application Versus Standard Instruction for Colonoscopic Preparation: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” published in the December 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Patel et al.
Adhering to bowel preparation instructions is essential for a successful colonoscopy.
Researchers conducted a prospective study to compare smartphone applications and paper instructions for bowel preparation before colonoscopy.
They randomly assigned patients undergoing colonoscopy (n = 238, 1:1 ratio) to receive bowel preparation instructions via a smartphone application or traditional paper. The primary outcome was the Boston Bowel Preparation Score (BBPS), and secondary outcomes included cecal intubation, polyp detection, and patient satisfaction.
The results showed no significant difference between the groups in bowel preparation quality (smartphone application mean: 7.26 vs. paper mean: 7.28, P=0.91), cecal intubation (P=0.37), detection of at least 1 polyp (P=0.43), or the mean number of polyps removed (P=0.11). However, a higher proportion of patients strongly agreed or agreed that they would use the smartphone application (89.4%) compared to paper instructions (70.1%, P=0.001).
They concluded that smartphone application instructions were as effective as traditional paper instructions for bowel preparation, with patient preferences influencing the choice of method.
Source: journals.lww.com/jcge/abstract/2024/11000/smartphone_application_versus_standard_instruction.15.aspx
