Review
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Endosc. Dec 16, 2014; 6(12): 571-583
Published online Dec 16, 2014. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v6.i12.571
Quality indicators for colonoscopy: Current insights and caveats
Hendrikus JM Pullens, Peter D Siersema
Hendrikus JM Pullens, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Meander Medical Center, 3800 BM Amersfoort, The Netherlands
Hendrikus JM Pullens, Peter D Siersema, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
Author contributions: Pullens HJM and Siersema PD analyzed and interpreted the data; Pullens HJM drafted the manuscript; Siersema PD critically revised the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Peter D Siersema, MD, PhD, FASGE, FACG, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. p.d.siersema@umcutrecht.nl
Telephone: +31-88-7556276 Fax: +31-88-7555533
Received: August 26, 2014
Revised: September 21, 2014
Accepted: October 28, 2014
Published online: December 16, 2014
Processing time: 114 Days and 16.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Many endoscopy societies have formulated guidelines on quality indicators for colonoscopy, including bowel preparation, cecal intubation rate, withdrawal time and adenoma detection rate. These are mostly consensus-based process indicators, rather than outcome measures. The scientific evidence on which they are based is limited. Adenoma detection rate is currently the only quality indicator that has been shown to be directly associated with interval colorectal cancer, but also has its shortcomings.