P3170 - Did Inaccurate Media Coverage of the NordICC RCT Undermine Perceptions About Colonoscopy for CRC Screening? A Randomized Trial Comparing Screening Intentions After Reading Low- vs High-Quality Media Reports

Eden Sharabi, MD, MS, Kushagra Mathur, MD, So Yung Choi, MS, Barbara Hollander, MD, Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Christopher V. Almario, MD, MSHPM
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Introduction: While the NordICC RCT showed that colonoscopy reduced CRC incidence and mortality in per-protocol analysis, many media outlets instead focused on the intention-to-screen findings (i.e., no change in mortality) with sensational headlines questioning the effectiveness of colonoscopy, leading the ACG to issue a public statement rebuking the inaccurate coverage. We hypothesized that misleading articles may have undermined perceptions about the benefits of colonoscopy. Thus, we conducted an online survey where unscreened Americans were randomized to read 1 of 2 mainstream media articles, one rated as “low-quality” and the other “high-quality” as determined by a panel of 19 gastroenterologists using the Quality Index for Health-Related Media Reports scale. We then compared the impact of the articles on participants’ intent to undergo colonoscopic screening.

Methods: We recruited a US nationally representative sample of unscreened adults aged 45-75y at average CRC risk. Respondents were randomized 1:1 to the low- or high-quality article. Before and after reading their article, participants reported whether they plan to be screened for CRC with a colonoscopy. Our primary outcome was a negative change in intent to undergo colonoscopic screening (Figure). We used multivariable logistic regression to adjust for confounding.

Results: There were 2013 screening-eligible Americans who completed the survey. Prior to reading their assigned article, 1531 (76%) stated they planned to undergo colonoscopy or were undecided. After reading the article, 12% in the low-quality article arm no longer planned to undergo colonoscopy vs. 9% in the high-quality article arm; the difference was not significant (adjusted p=0.17). In multivariable regression (Table), people who believed they were not susceptible to CRC (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.23-2.57) and those whose main source of news was social media (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.09-3.05) had higher odds of a negative change in intention to undergo colonoscopy.

Discussion: Overall, there was no difference in the impact between the low- and high-quality NordICC trial media reports on attitudes towards colonoscopic CRC screening. However, media coverage of the NordICC trial still led ~10% of people to change their mind about undergoing colonoscopy. Moreover, among those who do not perceive a personal risk of CRC and those who consume news through social media, media coverage significantly undermined perceptions about colonoscopy.



Disclosures:


Eden Sharabi, MD, MS, Kushagra Mathur, MD, So Yung Choi, MS, Barbara Hollander, MD, Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Christopher V. Almario, MD, MSHPM. P3170 - Did Inaccurate Media Coverage of the NordICC RCT Undermine Perceptions About Colonoscopy for CRC Screening? A Randomized Trial Comparing Screening Intentions After Reading Low- vs High-Quality Media Reports, ACG 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Vancouver, BC, Canada: American College of Gastroenterology.