Participants’ experience of colonoscopy to improve bowel surveillance.

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The acceptability of post-polypectomy surveillance from the participant’s perspective

  • IRAS ID

    339460

  • Contact name

    Katie Robb

  • Contact email

    katie.robb@glasgow.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    NHS GG&C Research and Innovation (R&I)

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 7 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    Bowel screening participants are invited to submit a postal stool sample, and if blood is detected, are invited for a colonoscopy. In the UK, over 220,000 screening colonoscopies were performed in 2019 of which more than 33,000 participants (15%) had a polyp. Half of participants (n~16,500) will develop future polyps despite their removal at the initial colonoscopy and are asked to return for a surveillance colonoscopy.

    Importantly, half of the people who complete a surveillance colonoscopy (n~8,250) have no further polyp detected and therefore received little health benefit from this invasive procedure.

    This study is a sub-study of the INCISE project which is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, NHS and industry, aims to transform bowel surveillance by developing a tool which can predict an individual’s risk of developing future polyps. It is essential that the perspective of patients and healthcare professionals contributes to any new strategy to improve bowel surveillance.

    This study has two objectives. Firstly, to understand patients’ acceptability and experience of colonoscopy, attitudes to surveillance, and identify barriers and potential solutions to engaging with surveillance colonoscopy. Secondly, we aim to understand the acceptability of the service to healthcare professionals, to provide insights into their needs, challenges and experiences as important stakeholders in its delivery, and how this impacts patient care and communication.

    We will perform one-to-one semi-structured qualitative interviews with patients and healthcare professionals. We will interview patients who are recommended to undergo a surveillance colonoscopy due to the presence of polyps at their index colonoscopy within the bowel screening pathway in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. We will interview healthcare professionals who undertake a range of roles supporting the surveillance colonoscopy pathway in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

    Interviews will last approximately 30-60 minutes and will be audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

  • REC name

    HSC REC B

  • REC reference

    24/NI/0045

  • Date of REC Opinion

    25 Mar 2024

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion