Direct Access Screening Colonoscopy: Helping to Make it Easier to Keep You Healthy
Colonoscopy is the most important test to detect colon cancer at an early stage or to prevent it in its entirety. When found early, colon cancer is treatable. Beginning at age 50, patients should have a screening colonoscopy performed. Patients of the African-American race have a greater risk of colon cancer and should have a colonoscopy performed once they reach 45 years of age.
The physicians and staff of Digestive Disease Associates offer Direct Access Screening Colonoscopy for the convenience of its patients and to make the scheduling of the test easier. Patients who meet the Direct Access medical criteria, can schedule their procedure and have it performed without first scheduling an office visit. Previously, a patient would first be scheduled for an office visit with the gastroenterologist, who, upon the completion of the visit, would then schedule the patient for a procedure at the hospital or an endoscopy center.
Under the program, a patient can contact the office and request that they be scheduled for a Direct Access Screening Colonoscopy. Upon review of your medical information by the physician, patients who meet the medical criteria can then have their procedure performed at our endoscopy center.
Patients can e-mail their request to be contacted or phone the office where their physician sees patients.