2026 Volume 64 Issue 1 Pages 92-99
Objective: The low participation rate for diagnostic examination for colorectal cancer screening has become a problem. We believe that the underlying reason why people do not undergo diagnostic examination (total colonoscopy (hereinafter referred to as TCS)) is due to the negative image of TCS, such as “TCS is painful, hard.” Therefore, in this study, we investigated how the negative image of TCS changes before and after the procedure.
Subjects and Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted before and after TCS on 400 patients who had no history of undergoing TCS, regarding negative impressions of TCS (pain during the examination, fear, pre-procedure preparation, dietary restrictions, embarrassment, and examination duration).
Results: Before TCS, the negative images were most prominent for pain during the exam (62%), fear (60%), and pre-procedure preparation (57%). However, after TCS, these perceptions decreased significantly to 12%, 20%, and 62%, respectively, with only pre-procedure preparation remaining relatively high. Additionally, perceptions of dietary restrictions were 30%, embarrassment was 25%, and examination duration was 25%, which were already less than 30% in the pre-examination survey. Furthermore, 95% of the participants indicated that they would undergo TCS again if necessary.
Discussion/Conclusion: Once a person undergoes TCS, most negative impressions are dispelled. Therefore, in order to improve the participation rate for diagnostic examination, educational efforts promoting the message “TCS is not as painful as expected” are considered extremely valuable.
