Guaranteed ride home removes hurdle to colonoscopy, pilot study shows

A first-of-its kind rideshare study shows that, if given a way to get to home from a colonoscopy after sedation, many patients will seek out a procedure they would otherwise avoid.

The study, co-led by UW Medicine and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, was presented this past week at a conference in Chicago. The full report will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Gastroenterology.

In prior studies, explained senior author Dr. Rachel Issaka, transportation was cited as one of the main barriers to completing a colonoscopy. Issaka directs the UW Medicine/Fred Hutch Population Health Colorectal Cancer Screening Program and is an assistant professor of medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

“Lack of patient transportation or a chaperone are frequently cited barriers to colorectal cancer screening,” the report noted. This in turn led “to missed or delayed colonoscopies for initial screening or follow-up of abnormal non-invasive tests.”

“All but one of the riders said this was a very positive experience for them,” said Ari Bell-Brown, a research program manager at Fred Hutch. All the participants were recruited from Harborview Medical Center, and even the one who did not have a positive experience would use rideshare again or recommend this to a friend who needed a colonoscopy, according to the survey response.

Twenty-two patients had taken part in the rideshare study at the time of the presentation. About 38% of the participants identified as white; 28% identified as Black and 25% as Hispanic. The great majority of participants (71%) have been men. The participants said they typically traveled by public transportation (64%) or on foot (36%) to attend appointments at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.