Patients Scheduled for Screening Colonoscopy Are Not More Likely To Cancel or “No-Show” Than Are Patients Scheduled To Undergo GI Endoscopy for “Other” Indications

Abstract

Purpose: Patient-initiated procedure cancellation on “short-notice” and failure to present (“no-show”) for previously scheduled GI endoscopic procedures is not an infrequent occurrence. One wonders whether asymptomatic persons scheduled for screening colonoscopy are more likely to cancel or “no-show” for their procedure than patients scheduled to have GI endoscopy for evaluation of “other” problems. This prospective study was designed to identify whether patients scheduled for screening colonoscopy are more likely to cancel or “no-show” than patients scheduled to have GI endoscopic procedures for “other” indications. Methods: All outpatients who either cancelled an endoscopic procedure on “short-notice” (within 48 hours prior to the anticipated procedure) or failed to present as scheduled (“no-show”), were identified in this prospective study. All patients had their procedures scheduled at either a local hospital or office-based ambulatory endoscopy unit. Rates of cancellation/“no-show” were then compared between patients who were scheduled to undergo screening colonoscopy and patients scheduled to undergo GI endoscopic procedures for “other” indications. Results: Over the study period (4/26/04 through 4/26/05), 6871 scheduled outpatients were eligible for inclusion in this prospective study. Of 6871 total outpatients, 322 were contacted after either cancellation or “no-show.” Group A included 2512 patients who were scheduled for screening colonoscopy (asymptomatic/average-risk), and of these 111 patients were contacted after cancellation or “no-showing,” yielding a rate of 4.4% (111/2512). Group B included 4359 patients scheduled during this period (for EGD or colonoscopy) for “all other” indications, and of these, 211 were contacted after cancellation or “no-showing”, yielding a rate of 4.8% (211/4359). The rate of cancellation/“no-show” was not significantly different between groups A and B (p = 0.442 = NS by Fischers exact test). Conclusions: The results from this prospective study suggest that asymptomatic/average-risk patients who are scheduled for screening colonoscopy are not more likely to cancel on “short notice” or “no-show” than are patients scheduled to undergo EGD or colonoscopy for “other” indications.