A Quality Improvement Study on Colonoscopy Wait Times in Underinsured Patients Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic limited access to colonoscopy. To advance colorectal cancer health equity, we conducted a quality improvement study on colonoscopy wait times in 2019–2023 for underinsured (Medicaid, uninsured) compared with insured patients at an academic medical center providing colonoscopy for surrounding Federally Qualified Health Centers. METHODS: Retrospective chart reviews were performed on adult outpatient colonoscopies in the preintervention period (2019–2021). In 2022, an institutional grant funded bilingual patient navigation to reduce colonoscopy wait times. Postintervention data were collected prospectively from May 2022 to May 2023 in 2 phases. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted for colonoscopy wait times as a primary outcome. RESULTS: Analysis of 3,403 screening/surveillance and 1,896 diagnostic colonoscopies revealed significantly longer colonoscopy wait times for underinsured compared with insured patients after 2019. For screening/surveillance colonoscopies, wait time differences between underinsured and insured patients in the second postintervention phase were reduced by 34.21 days (95% confidence interval CI: 11.07–57.35) compared with the postpandemic period and by 56.36 days (95% CI: 34.16–78.55) compared with the first postintervention phase. For diagnostic colonoscopies, wait time differences in the second postintervention phase were reduced by 27.57 days (95% CI: 9.96–45.19) compared with the postpandemic period and by 20.40 days (95% CI: 1.02–39.77) compared with the first postintervention phase. DISCUSSION: Colonoscopy wait times were significantly longer for underinsured compared with insured patients following the COVID-19 pandemic. This disparity was partially ameliorated by patient navigation. Monitoring outpatient colonoscopy wait times in underinsured patients is important for advancing health equity.