EurekAlert: Providing More Testing Choices Does not Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates

Offering patients the choice between home screening or in-office colonoscopy does not increase participation in colorectal cancer screening, according to a new Penn Medicine study. However, the framing of choice did impact patient decision-making, as the proportion of colonoscopies — the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening — fell when the home screening option was presented as an available option. This study was published in JAMA Network Open. “As clinicians, we should think carefully about the choices that we offer to patients: While they’re well-meaning and seemingly more patient-centered, choices may actually be overwhelming and could impede decision-making,” said the study’s lead author, Shivan Mehta, MD, MBA, associate chief innovation officer at Penn Medicine and an assistant professor of Medicine. “It is important for us to simplify choices as much as possible, but also think about how we frame them.” Read more at EurekAlert, PhillyVoice, MedPageToday, Health Imaging, News Medicine, UPI