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. 2023 Sep 11;15(1):28-34.
doi: 10.1136/flgastro-2023-102484. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Patient experiences of Cytosponge: a qualitative study

Laura Jane Neilson  1   2 , Rebecca C Fitzgerald  3   4 , Jennifer Deane  1 , Irene Debiram-Beecham  3   4 , Halime Gulle  1 , Colin Rees  1   2 , Linda Sharp  1
Affiliations

Patient experiences of Cytosponge: a qualitative study

Laura Jane Neilson et al. Frontline Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Objective: Cytosponge is a novel technology for oesophageal pathology diagnosis. Uses include diagnosis of Barrett's oesophagus and as a triage tool to prioritise upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Patient experience is a key component of quality care. Previous work has developed endoscopy patient-reported experience measures. An appropriate tool to measure patient experience of Cytosponge is required. The aim of this work was to describe the patient experience of Cytosponge.

Design/method: Individuals aged 18 years or over, who had undergone Cytosponge from September 2020 to March 2021, were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and anonymised. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Themes were organised into two overarching areas relating to patient experiences and patient perceptions of the test.

Results: 19 patients underwent interview (aged 37-80 years, 13 male). In terms of patient experiences of Cytosponge, five themes were identified: emotional reaction; expectations; environment and physical process; sensory experience; communication and information. All themes were present across all procedural phases, aside from sensory experience which was only present during the test. With regard to perception of the test, two major themes were identified: test novelty (encompassing patient awareness of the test and reaction to the new test) and trusting the test results.

Conclusion: Patients must remain central to novel technologies such as Cytosponge. Measuring patient experience is essential to achieve that. This study demonstrates five major themes which describe the patient experience of this procedure. These have been used to adapt the Newcastle ENDOPREM for use in Cytosponge.

Keywords: Barrett's oesophagus; gastroesophageal reflux disease; gastrointesinal endoscopy; oesophageal disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: LJN, LS and CR have received grant funding from Medtronic. LS and CR have received grant funding from three-dimensional Matrix solutions. CR has received grant funding from ARC medical, Norgine and Olympus medical. He was an expert witness for ARC medical and Olympus medical. RCF is named on patents related to Cytosponge and associated assays that have been licensed to Covidien (now Medtronic). RCF is a founder and <8% shareholder of Cyted. ID-B and JD have no conflicts to declare.

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