Open AccessHow we can measure quality in colonoscopy?
Author(s) -
Leonidas A. Bourikas,
Zacharias P. Tsiamoulos,
Adam Haycock,
Siwan Thomas-Gibson,
Brian P. Saunders
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
world journal of gastrointestinal endoscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1948-5190
DOI - 10.4253/wjge.v5.i10.468
Subject(s) - colonoscopy , medicine , quality (philosophy) , bowel preparation , colorectal cancer , quality management , process (computing) , patient satisfaction , service (business) , health care , medical physics , computer science , surgery , cancer , business , philosophy , epistemology , marketing , economic growth , economics , operating system
Measuring quality is a current need of medical services either to assess their cost-effectiveness or to identify discrepancies requiring refinement. With the advent of bowel cancer screening and increasing patient awareness of bowel symptoms, there has been an unprecedented increase in demand for colonoscopy. Consequently, there is an expanding open-discussion on missed rates of cancer or precancerous polyps during diagnostic/screening colonoscopy and on the rate of adverse events related to therapeutic colonoscopy. Delivering a quality colonoscopy service is therefore a healthcare priority. Colonoscopy is a multi-step process and therefore assessment of all aspects of the procedure must be addressed. Quality in colonoscopy refers to a combination of many patient-centered technical and non-technical skills and knowledge aiming to patient's safety and satisfaction through a continuous effort for improvement. The benefits of this endless process are hiding behind small details which can eventually make the difference in colonoscopy. Identifying specific quality metrics help to define and shape an optimal service and forms a secure basis of improvement. Τhis paper does not aim to give technical details on how to perform colonoscopy but to summarize what to measure and when, in accordance with the current identified quality indicators and standards for colonoscopy.