Background: Split-dose bowel preparations for colonoscopy have superior effectiveness compared with giving all the preparation the evening before colonoscopy. Some physicians believe that split-dose preparations would be unpopular with patients scheduled for early morning colonoscopies.
Aims: To determine the willingness of potential patients to undergo split-dose bowel preparation for colonoscopy and the actual adherence of colonoscopy patients to split-dose instructions.
Methods: We performed a survey of esophagogastroduodenoscopy patients and drivers of colonoscopy patients asking whether they would accept split-dose preparations for early morning colonoscopy appointments. We also asked colonoscopy patients scheduled in the early morning if they had complied with the written preparation instructions.
Results: Of the 300 individuals surveyed, the majority (85%) stated they would be willing to get up during the night to take the second dose of preparation. Of 107 colonoscopy patients with early morning appointments, 78% actually got up during the night to take the second dose of preparation.
Conclusions: Acceptance of and compliance with split-dose bowel preparations is high and should not be a deterrent to prescribing split-dose preparations for colonoscopy.