Many people find collection of the stool sample required for a FIT Test difficult, unpleasant and unhygienic to perform.
There are a number of different methods that patients can use to make collecting a stool sample a little easier, including:
It is important that the stool does not come into contact with toilet water.
If this happens, the patient should NOT CONTINUE.
They should store the device in a cool, dry place until they have another bowel movement.
Haemoglobin is a very sensitive molecule, prone to rapid degradation. Therefore, collecting a stool sample with the aim of identifying hidden blood must be done appropriately to ensure the best possible chance of preserving the haemoglobin.
More than 50% of patients responding to screening take a stool sample directly from the toilet bowl. Sampling a stool from the toilet basin is technically difficult, but also creates potential measurement errors, due to loss of content from the stool into the surrounding water, or contamination from toilet sanitisers and toilet water additives.
Offering a hands-free paper collection aid, like Fe-Col®, to support your FIT service will help increase the uptake of the test, and will improve the quality of sample sent to the laboratory.
The Fe-Col device is a unique, disposable stool collector, which is easily and securely placed on the toilet. The paper catches the stool before it touches toilet water, or the bowl as contamination of the stool with toilet cleaners, additives etc. could progress the degradation of haemoglobin in the stool. The paper contains no additives, is made from wood-free material, and is fully flushable.
For patients Fe-Col offers a quick, simple solution to a frustrating and potentially messy problem. For the laboratory testing the faeces, it prevents the risk of sample contamination, ensuring fewer test errors.