Table 4 Repeating Fecal Immunochemical (FIT) Testing^a

Repeated FIT testing: Barriers

“I mean if you’re just doing a stool sample, to me that’s pretty easy. That is not a big deal…but if I felt like I was more at risk.”

“…if I read some study… that said if you’ve taken this thorough test and you’ve been examined you’re good for five years, I would think I don’t need to do this every year because it seems like I’m okay.”

“I think I would do the colorectal reminder thing once a year whether I was having problems or not, but if I didn’t have any problems, I might be a little lax in making the appointment as soon as I would otherwise…”

“The only thing that would encourage me not to do it is if I found out they’re not effective, that they’re a waste of time – then of course I wouldn’t waste my time.”

“I think if they made it more difficult to do Like I said that was harder for me to remember to do the other ones because you had to not eat red meat for two days or something like that. This last test was just a piece of cake and was real easy to do. No problem.”

Repeated FIT testing: Facilitators

“…because I can do it all at one time and mail it in. I don’t have to stretch it out and watch everything. So this makes it much…easier.

“…if my doctor told me I need to keep doing it every year, I want to be a little more attentive to what my doctor says,… I will do it.”

“I think after the first one, it would be a lot easier.”

“Having a good result, having a good test would make me want to repeat.”

“If they told me they thought I was in a high risk category or my personal tests turned up to make it look like I was in a high risk, then I’d want to do it.”

“If the doctor’s office or the notifying firm or whoever reminds me, I’ll keep doing it.”

“I will do it - once I’ve done it and I think it’s a wise thing to do, I will continue to do it. I don’t need any more encouragement! ...Dr. O was enough.”

“If they can give good results, at least I know what’s going on without having to take a whole lot of time off to do a more intense test, if the results were satisfactory and I didn’t have to go in and do the colon thing.”

“If you do it, it’s over and done with and you get your result back and have peace of mind for another year.”

“Overall, I get peace of mind from it. You do it, they report back that there’s nothing wrong. So I don’t worry about it until the next test. And I appreciate that. I’m also motivated to do it again.”

“I: Thinking again about the stool tests or any kind of screening test, what kinds of things might help you continue to do them regularly over time?

“P: Number one would be my age…Also I’m African American, and it runs very high in our people, and other people say the reason why they’re continuing to go ahead and do it, like the test kits or the screening, whatever.”