Mailing videos about colorectal cancer screening to patients before they go to a physician’s office does not increase the chances that they will be screened, according to a study reported in the November 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Many patients who might benefit from colorectal cancer screening do not get screening, according to the researchers. Experts recommend colon cancer screening for adults older than 50 years of age. However, less than one third of adults get screening.
The researchers believe the underuse of colorectal cancer screening may be due to busy doctors not having enough time to teach their patients about it. A previous study showed that the combination of a video viewed in a doctor's office, educational pamphlets and reminders increased the use of colorectal cancer screening.
This new study involved 938 patients between the ages of 50 to 74 years who were scheduled for a physical examination at one of five primary care practices in Massachusetts and who were eligible for colorectal cancer screening. The patients in the study had high rates of colorectal cancer screening even before the study.
A team of Massachusetts researchers assigned patients at random to receive either a mailed video about colorectal cancer screening or usual care from their physicians. The video was 15 minutes long and focused on colorectal cancer screening with sigmoidoscopy.
The rates of colorectal cancer screening (55 percent) were the same in patients who received the video and those who did not. Patients who received the video were more likely to get sigmoidoscopy as part of their screening than patients who did not get the video. The researchers believe that few patients watched a little or all of the video.
The video might be more effective in practices with lower screening rates, the researchers concluded. In addition, the video focused on sigmoidoscopy, which is only one and not necessarily the preferred option for colorectal cancer screening.
Source:Medical Week staff, November 13, 2004
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