The effect of training using multimedia control tools on anxiety before colonoscopy

Background: Colonoscopy is the most accurate tool for diagnosing the large intestine diseases, allowing to see the inner wall of the large intestine. However, the invasiveness of colonoscopy causes anxiety in patients. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of education using multimedia tools on female patients' anxiety before colonoscopy.Methods: The study tools were Spielberger STAI and a Knowledge Questionnaire, which were completed on the visit day. The patients completed the STAI and Knowledge Questionnaire again before receiving the colonoscopy. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version ۲۴ and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.Results: booklet group’s patients had lower anxiety scores on the day of colonoscopy compared to multimedia group’s patients. There was no significant difference between the control and multimedia groups in terms of anxiety scores on the day of colonoscopy. However, there was a significant difference in the knowledge scores of the three groups on the colonoscopy day, and this difference was quite evident in the multimedia group. The results of the two-way ANOVA test indicated that increasing the patients’ knowledge on the days of visit and colonoscopy increased their anxiety on the colonoscopy day. Conclusion: According to our results, although multimedia tools increased the patients' understanding and knowledge about the colonoscopy procedure, they were not useful in reducing the patients' anxiety. Thus, using multimedia tools to reduce the colonoscopy anxiety was not effective in patients with a high anxiety.