Online mindfulness before colonoscopy: anxiety results remain uncertain
A pilot trial found good satisfaction, but the overall anxiety comparison was not statistically significant. An analysis of participants with follow-up data gave a different result.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The online program was well received, but the main analysis did not establish a reduction in anxiety before a first screening colonoscopy. An analysis restricted to participants with follow-up data did find lower anxiety. These differing results leave effectiveness uncertain, and the trial found no difference in the clinical outcomes it assessed.
This was a pilot study, and logistical problems limited retention. The abstract reports differing anxiety results across analyses, gives no confidence interval for the difference and calls for a larger trial.
What researchers found
Waiting-room anxiety on the STAI-S scale
Mindfulness group versus usual care, measured in the endoscopy waiting room before the procedure; the overall comparison was not statistically significant.
What the program involved
The program combined screening information, mindfulness infographics and brief guided meditations. Researchers measured immediate anxiety in the endoscopy waiting room, using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory's state-anxiety subscale to capture the outcome.
Why follow-up matters
Restricting an analysis to people with follow-up data changes who contributes to the comparison. Here, that choice changed statistical significance, making participant retention central to interpreting the apparent anxiety benefit.
The original publication
A pilot randomized controlled trial of an online mindfulness-based intervention to reduce patient anxiety before a first-time screening colonoscopy.
Emerson B, Reiter PL, Shoben AB et al.
Cancer Causes Control · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41774215
- Record checked
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