Better follow-up colonoscopies for Veterans with colorectal polyps
Official title: Addressing Under- and Overuse of Colorectal Neoplasia Surveillance Among Veterans
Funded at Rlr VA Medical Center · NIH-11140996 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will create and pilot a program to help Veterans with past colorectal growths get the right follow-up colonoscopies — not too many and not too few.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rlr VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2HX003694-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140996 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans receiving care in the VA who have a history of colorectal neoplasia (such as polyps) and are due for surveillance follow-up.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without a history of colorectal neoplasia or those who get care outside the VA system are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you are a Veteran who previously had colorectal polyps or other precancerous growths, this team will look at how follow-up colonoscopies are scheduled and used and identify why some people get too many while others get too few. They will design and pilot a targeted program inside VA clinics to improve how surveillance appointments are prioritized, how reminders and risk information are shared, and how limited colonoscopy resources are allocated. The work will use VA medical records and may include interviews or feedback from patients and clinicians to shape the intervention. The goal is to make sure high-risk Veterans receive timely surveillance while low-risk Veterans avoid unnecessary procedures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce unnecessary colonoscopies for low-risk Veterans and increase timely surveillance for high-risk Veterans, improving access and lowering colorectal cancer risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous guideline-driven and quality-improvement efforts have reduced inappropriate testing in some settings, but targeted programs that address both overuse and underuse within the VA are limited and have shown mixed results.
Where this research is happening
-
Rlr VA Medical Center
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maratt, Jennifer Kaur — Rlr VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Maratt, Jennifer Kaur
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.