Giving patients a choice between screening methods could help doctors detect colon cancer earlier, a new study shows.
More than double the number of patients underwent colon cancer screening if they were given a choice of the type of test they’d prefer, researchers report.
“Offering the choice of colonoscopy or take-home kits seem to have the advantage of maximizing the rates of colonoscopy — the most effective screening tool — while not overloading individuals with too much of a choice, which could have lowered overall participation,” said lead researcher Dr. Shivan Mehta, Penn Medicine’s associate chief innovation officer and an associate professor of gastroenterology.