Quality monitoring in colonoscopy: Time to act

Abstract

Colonoscopy is the gold standard test for colorectal cancer screening. The primary advantage of colonoscopy as opposed to other screening modalities is the ability to provide therapy by removal of precancerous lesions at the time of detection. However, colonoscopy may miss clinically important neoplastic polyps. The value of colonoscopy in reducing incidence of colorectal cancer is dependent on many factors including, the patient, provider, and facility level. A high quality examination includes adequate bowel preparation, optimal colonoscopy technique, meticulous inspection during withdrawal, identification of subtle flat lesions, and complete polypectomy. Considerable variation among institutions and endoscopists has been reported in the literature. In attempt to diminish this disparity, various approaches have been advocated to improve the quality of colonoscopy. The overall impact of these interventions is not yet well defined. Implementing optimal education and training and subsequently analyzing the impact of these endeavors in improvement of quality will be essential to augment the utility of colonoscopy for the prevention of colorectal cancer.

Keywords: Colonoscopy; Quality improvement; Cecal intubation rate; Adenoma detection rate

Core tip: Quality is a measure of actual performance compared to the defined standard as outlined by the medical community. Important quality measures in colonoscopy include informed consent, adequate bowel preparation, cecal intubation, withdrawal time, adenoma detection rate, appropriate screening and surveillance follow-up recommendations, and adverse events. The above quality measures could affect patient outcomes and therefore should be implemented and monitored regularly.