Endoscopy or radiography?--The patient's choice. Prospective comparative survey of patient acceptability of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and radiography.

Patient acceptability of endoscopy and the double-contrast barium meal test was compared in a prospective randomized fashion. Ninety-six inpatients were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire within 24 hours of completion of double-contrast barium meal test and endoscopy, after recovery from administered sedation. Twenty-five percent of patients reported moderate to severe discomfort with each procedure. The levels of discomfort reported were similar for both procedures. The majority of patients would readily undergo a repeated procedure, if requested. There was a tendency (p less than 0.1) for patients to prefer endoscopy overall. No specific patient group that preferred one procedure over the other could be identified, although older patients (more than 55 years) showed a tendency to prefer endoscopy. The choice of one procedure over the other should no longer be based on the presumed superior acceptability of the double-contrast barium meal test.