Patients find the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) more convenient to use than the previous guaiac based tests: you collect one stool sample, perform one sampling process, and then the test can be either posted back to the laboratory, or returned to the GP’s office for onward transport to the testing laboratory. However, by providing the sampling device to the patients, it is important to ensure the patient can understand what is required of the test, and that they can collect a good quality sample and return it correctly. Alpha Laboratories can help with this.
With many years’ experience in the development and implementation of both symptomatic and screening programmes, we can help design your bespoke service to ensure your patients receive the tools they need to provide the laboratory good quality samples.
The key to a successful screening or symptomatic service is patient participation. By making the sampling process straight-forward and easy to understand, the patient is more likely to complete the test. The test is designed to help prevent unnecessary colonoscopy procedures, the negative predictive value of FIT (100%, NICE DG30, 2017) can reduce the number of procedures which yield no pathology, representing a huge benefit to the patient and the healthcare system.
