Abstract
BackgroundDelays in receiving follow-up colonoscopy after an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result are associated with increased colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Little is known about patterns of follow-up colonoscopy completion in federally qualified health centers.MethodsWe abstracted the medical records of health center patients, aged 50–75 years, who had an abnormal FIT result between August 5, 2017 and August 4, 2018 (N = 711). We assessed one-year rates of colonoscopy referral, pre-procedure visit completion, colonoscopy completion, and time to colonoscopy; associations between these outcomes and patient characteristics; and reasons for non-completion found in the medical record.ResultsOf the 711 patients with an abnormal FIT result, 90% were referred to colonoscopy, but only 52% completed a pre-procedure visit, and 43% completed a colonoscopy within 1 year. Median time to colonoscopy was 83 days (interquartile range: 52–131 days). Pre-procedure visit and colonoscopy completion rates were relatively low in patients aged 65–75 (vs. 50–64), who were uninsured (vs. insured) or had no clinic visit in the prior year (vs. ≥ 1 clinic visit). Common reasons listed for non-completion were that the patient declined, or the provider could not reach the patient.DiscussionEfforts to improve follow-up colonoscopy rates in health centers might focus on supporting the care transition from primary to specialty gastroenterology care and emphasize care for older uninsured patients and those having no recent clinic visits. Our findings can inform efforts to improve follow-up colonoscopy uptake, reduce time to colonoscopy receipt, and save lives from colorectal cancer.Trial registration: National Clinical Trial (NCT) Identifier: NCT03925883.
Highlights
Delays in receiving follow-up colonoscopy after an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result are associated with increased colorectal cancer incidence and mortality
Fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) are a low-cost alternative to colonoscopy for identifying patients at risk of Colorectal cancer (CRC), for FITs to be effective, patients who receive an abnormal FIT result must obtain a timely follow-up colonoscopy in order to remove precancerous polyps or find cancer in early forms that can be successfully treated
Having a clinic visit in the year prior to the abnormal FIT result was associated with higher odds of pre-procedure and colonoscopy completion, with the strength of these associations increasing with increasing numbers of visits
Summary
Delays in receiving follow-up colonoscopy after an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result are associated with increased colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Follow-up colonoscopy rates are low in most US healthcare settings and are low in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), where published rates range from 18 to 57% [3,4,5,6,7]. These rates are well below the 80% target set by the Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer [8]. Compared with health care settings that have integrated specialty care services, FQHCs face unique challenges in coordinating care with specialty colonoscopy providers located in separate health care systems
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