Could stool collection devices help increase uptake to bowel cancer screening programmes?

Objective: We aimed to understand the usage and acceptability of a faecal collection device (FCD) amongst participants of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in order to influence future uptake. Setting: Men and women completing faecal occult blood test (FOBt) retests as part of the routine Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in Eastern England. Methods: A FCD and questionnaire was sent to all potential retest participants during a 1 month period collecting information on prior stool collection methods and ease of use and usefulness of the enclosed FCD. Results: Of 1087 invitations to participate, 679 (62.5%) participants returned their questionnaire. Of these 429 (63.2%) trialled the FCD at least once. 163 (38.4%) found the device made collecting their sample easier than previously, with 189 (44.6%) finding it made collection more difficult and 72 (17.0%) feeling it made no difference. Similar numbers reported finding that the FCD made collecting the sample more pleasant (130, 31.5%), less pleasant (103, 25.0%) and no different (179, 43.4%) compared to previous collection without a FCD. Conclusion: Although a small proportion of participants found the FCD helpful a considerable majority did not or did not use it at all. Offering FCDs is unlikely to produce a substantial increase in bowel cancer screening uptake