Abstract
Unscheduled colonoscopy orders lead to missed opportunities for early diagnosis and screening. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an automated time-released reminder program on conversion of colonoscopy orders to scheduled cases. In this prospective study, we compared patients ordered for a colonoscopy who were enrolled in an automated reminder program (intervention) with a historical cohort of patients ordered for a colonoscopy who did not receive scheduling reminders (control). The intervention group received automated text message and email reminders using a software platform at 1, 7, and 14 days after a colonoscopy order was placed. The percentage of colonoscopies scheduled within 14 days of order placement improved from 66.0% in the control group to 73.4% in the intervention group (p = .001). The percentage of colonoscopies scheduled within 30 days improved from 73.6% to 90.0% (p < .0001). For colonoscopies ordered by a nongastroenterologist, the percentage of cases scheduled within 30 days of order placement improved from 65.8% in the control group to 90.0% in the intervention group (p < .0001). There was a 10% decrease in phone calls with endoscopy staff for the intervention group relative to the control group. Automated reminders for colonoscopy scheduling improve efficiency in colonoscopy scheduling.