Helping people complete colonoscopy after an abnormal stool test
Official title: IMProving Adherence to Colonoscopy through Teams and Technology (IMPACTT)
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11294270 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses team-based care and technology to help people with an abnormal at-home stool test (FIT) finish their follow-up colonoscopy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | May 16, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $664,618 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA271031-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294270 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who receive an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result and receive care at participating clinics—especially patients from underserved or vulnerable communities—are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without abnormal stool tests, those already up-to-date with colonoscopy, or patients who do not receive care at participating clinics are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you get an abnormal FIT result, this project will coordinate care across clinics, providers, and staff to make referrals, schedule procedures, and support your attendance. Clinics will adopt best-practice workflows, providers will get tools and prompts to move follow-up along, and patients will receive navigation and technology-based reminders to overcome barriers. The work focuses on people served by safety-net and vulnerable populations where follow-up rates are low. The goal is to increase timely colonoscopy completion after abnormal FIT and reduce disparities in colorectal cancer screening.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more patients would get timely diagnostic colonoscopy after an abnormal FIT, which could lead to earlier detection or prevention of colorectal cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous programs using patient navigation and reminders have improved follow-up colonoscopy in some settings, but rates still vary and combining clinic, provider, and patient-level technology is a newer, promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sarkar, Urmimala — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Sarkar, Urmimala
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Colonoscopy with light-based tissue fingerprints to detect colorectal cancer
This project tests a new imaging method during colonoscopy to better spot and classify colorectal lesions in adults undergoing routine screening.
-
Improving colonoscopy training with sensorized manikins and computer coaching
This project builds realistic sensor-equipped practice manikins and a computer coach to help doctors learn colonoscopy skills faster and more safely.
-
Video-based tool to boost colonoscopy quality for low-volume doctors
A new, AI-assisted video-based approach helps lower-volume colonoscopy doctors perform higher-quality screenings to catch polyps and reduce cancer risk.
-
Support to help people in rural areas get a colonoscopy
This project tests whether one-on-one patient navigation helps adults in rural, low-income communities complete a colonoscopy after a positive stool (FIT) test.
-
Helping people get recommended follow-up colonoscopies after high-risk colon polyps
This program uses electronic records and automated reminders to help patients and doctors complete the recommended three-year follow-up colonoscopy after high-risk colorectal polyps.
-
Follow-up colonoscopy decisions for adults 75 and older
This project looks at whether getting routine follow-up colonoscopies after polyp removal helps people aged 75 and older avoid colorectal cancer while weighing the procedure risks.
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.