Colonoscopy Statistics

The effectiveness of colonoscopy in successfully detecting polyps depends on a number of factors, including the technical expertise and experience of the endoscopist. A number of quality indicators have been suggested to measure competence in performing colonoscopy. Dr. Schub has performed over 25,000 colonoscopies, and is dedicated to meeting these recognized standards. To that end, we analyzed 295 of our charts from 2008 to determine how Dr. Schub’s performance compares to national guidelines.

Here are the results:

How do Dr. Schub’s colonoscopy results compare to national standards?

Quality Indicator #1: Completeness of Exam		National Benchmark	Dr. Schub
	Effective colonoscopists should be able to “intubate” the cecum (i.e., successfully pass the colonoscope to established landmarks at the beginning of the colon) in ≥90% of all cases, and in ≥95% of cases when screening a healthy adult.	≥90% of all cases ≥95% when screening a healthy adult	99.7% of all cases 100% when screening a healthy adult
Quality Indicator #2: Adenoma Detection		National Benchmark	Dr. Schub
	Among healthy, asymptomatic patients 50 years or older undergoing screening colonoscopy, adenomas should be detected in ≥25% of men and ≥15% of women.	≥25% of men ≥15% of women	32% of men 18% of women
Quality Indicator #3: Length of Exam		National Benchmark	Dr. Schub
	Mean withdrawal times in colonoscopic examinations should be ≥6 minutes in colonoscopies performed in patients with intact colons.	≥6 min in patients with intact colons	>6 min in patients with intact colons

Reference:

Rex, D., Deal, S., Petersen, B. & Irving, P. (2006). Quality indicators for colonoscopy. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 63, 4, S16-S28.

Many thanks to our student intern Lauren Oglesby for her dedicated work collecting and analyzing this data.