A private affair: children's experiences prior to colonoscopy

Aims and objectives To illuminate children's experiences prior to colonoscopy. Background It is well known that children need to be well prepared before undergoing stressful medical procedures, and the goal of such preparations should focus on minimising their level of anxiety. The clinical investigation of children with suspected inflammatory bowel disease involves several steps, with colonoscopy being routinely used to investigate the colon and the lower part of the small intestine. To minimise children's anxiety during various medical procedures, it is important that information about their experiences is obtained directly from the children themselves. Design A qualitative study. Method The study was designed as a qualitative interview study involving 17 children aged 10–17 years undergoing colonoscopy at a children's university hospital in Sweden. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using content analysis. Results The children's experiences prior to colonoscopy were identified as belonging to an overall theme, a private affair, and to four categories: preparing yourself, mastering the situation, reluctantly participating and feeling emotional support. Conclusion This study shows that children's experiences prior to colonoscopy are a private affair and that the preparation needs to be individually adapted for the ‘preprocedural’ preparation to be comprehended. Relevance to clinical practice The children's experiences ascertained in this study can contribute to a greater understanding of children's needs prior to a colonoscopy and may provide professional care staff with the basis for future nursing assessments.