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.