Abstract C109: Colorectal cancer knowledge and screening status among companions of patients undergoing a colonoscopy: An opportunity for a targeted intervention
Authors: Gray Darrell M , Reddy Menaka , Shoben Abigail , Reiter Paul L , Katz Mira L 
Published: September 2020

PURPOSE: To determine the colorectal cancer (CRC) knowledge, screening compliance, and preference(s) for an intervention to improve screening compliance among companions of patients undergoing colonoscopy. METHODS: Between March and June 2017, we approached individuals who accompanied patients undergoing a colonoscopy (companions) at one of three endoscopy centers to participate in a survey to determine CRC and CRC screening knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Participants were also asked to provide input about content and format for a future CRC screening intervention. Companions aged 50 to 75 years were eligible to participate. RESULTS: Of the 338 companions approached for participation, 224 (66%) were eligible and completed the survey. Most companions were a spouse or family member (83%), married/living with a partner (78%), female (57%), and had less than a college degree (51%). The sample included companions from a minority race/ethnicity (20%) and those with an annual household income of less than $30,000 (18%). In addition, companions predominantly had health insurance (96%), reported having a personal doctor (88%) and had an evaluation by a healthcare provider within the last year (85%). Among companions at average-risk for CRC (n=166), 38 (23%) were not within screening guidelines and 29 companions reported that they had never completed a screening test. Many companions lacked knowledge about what age to begin CRC screening (85%) and factors associated with increased risk for CRC such as being African American (73%) or male (60%). Among companions not within screening guidelines, the most frequently reported barriers to CRC screening were being asymptomatic (74%) and lack of a provider recommendation (32%). While the majority of companions agreed or strongly agreed that CRC would be serious to their health (99%) and that CRC screening would help protect their health (97%), only 29% of average risk companions not within screening guidelines reported that they intended to undergo CRC screening within the next 6 months. Suggestions for a future CRC screening intervention to be completed by waiting companions included a video shown on a tablet that included men and women from all races/ethnicities, a doctor and nurse, testimonials from individuals who completed CRC screening, and the intervention should last 15 minutes or less. CONCLUSIONS: Given that companions of patients undergoing a colonoscopy wait about two hours for test completion, developing a brief CRC screening intervention for them addresses an overlooked educational opportunity. The brief intervention should address the most commonly reported barriers, the benefits of screening, men and women of different races/ethnicities, doctors and nurses, testimonials from individuals who completed screening, and should activate companions to talk to their doctor about CRC screening.

Citation Format: Darrell M Gray II, Menaka Reddy, Abigail Shoben, Paul L Reiter, Mira L Katz. Colorectal cancer knowledge and screening status among companions of patients undergoing a colonoscopy: An opportunity for a targeted intervention [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C109.