A study co-led by UW Medicine and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center found that rideshare can be a viable solution to connect patients to colonoscopy procedures. 

"We're the first program of this kind in this country, and it's because most endoscopy centers around the nation will not typically allow individuals to get into a rideshare vehicle after receiving sedation," said Dr. Rachel Issaka, the program director of the UW Medicine/Fred Hutch Population Health Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.

Issaka said she worked with leaders throughout the health system to ensure rideshare would be an option worth being studied through this program. Patients were recruited from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

"The consistent issue that kept coming up was lack of transportation or a chaperone that could accompany them for the procedure. In order to receive sedation for a colonoscopy for colon cancer screening, both of those things are required," said Issaka. "We really thought about practical solutions that could address this barrier that was persistently being discussed." 

Read more takeaways from the study in our news release.

Download broadcast-ready soundbites on the pilot rideshare study to improve colonoscopy completion.