A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that a patient navigation program significantly improves follow-up colonoscopy rates among adults who receive abnormal stool test results—an important step in early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer.

The research, led by Dr. Gloria D. Coronado from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, evaluated the effectiveness of a telephone-based patient navigation system across 32 clinics within a federally qualified health center in Washington state.

The randomized controlled trial involved 967 participants between the ages of 50 and 75 who had received abnormal fecal test results within the previous month. Among them, 479 were enrolled in the patient navigation program, which included six targeted telephone sessions designed to support and guide patients through the process of scheduling and completing a colonoscopy. The remaining 488 participants received usual care without additional navigation.

The results showed a significant improvement in follow-up rates. About 55.1 percent of patients in the navigation group underwent a colonoscopy within a year, compared to just 42.1 percent in the usual care group.

Notably, the study also found that the intervention was effective regardless of a patient’s baseline likelihood of obtaining a colonoscopy, indicating that the navigation program benefitted a broad range of individuals.

“Patient navigation improved rates of colonoscopy follow-up after abnormal fecal immunochemical testing results among patients at a large federally qualified health clinic,” the researchers concluded.

With colorectal cancer being the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, timely follow-up after abnormal stool tests is critical. This study suggests that patient navigation programs could play a vital role in increasing early detection and reducing preventable deaths.