BIOMAT Database Logo BIOMAT Database Logo

Quality metrics of screening colonoscopies performed by PAs. 2020

M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
M. Phillip Fejleh is a gastroenterology fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles. At Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., Ching-Chieh Shen is an internal medicine resident and Jacqueline Chen is a gastroenterology fellow. Joseph A. Bushong is a PA endoscopist at the St. Louis (Mo.) Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Brian K. Dieckgraefe is an associate professor of medicine at Washington University and practices at St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Gregory S. Sayuk is an associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at Washington University and practices at St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

BACKGROUND Many communities face a shortage of qualified endoscopists. Training physician assistants (PAs) to perform colonoscopies can expand the availability of colorectal cancer screening. This study examined screening colonoscopy metrics and quality indicators among gastroenterologists, supervised PAs, and gastroenterology fellows. METHODS Consecutive patients undergoing average-risk screening colonoscopy were stratified into one of three groups by endoscopist type. Procedure and pathology reports were reviewed for the technical performance and quality metrics of the providers. RESULTS PAs performed comparably to gastroenterologists in technical performance and quality metrics, and demonstrated higher cecal intubation rates than their gastroenterologist colleagues. Comparisons of attending physicians and PAs grouped by years of experience also did not show notable differences in performance. CONCLUSIONS In a supervised practice, PAs performed on par with their gastroenterology colleagues on established colonoscopy quality indicators. Following proper training, PAs can be employed in the provision of screening colonoscopy.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008403 Mass Screening Organized periodic procedures performed on large groups of people for the purpose of detecting disease. Screening,Mass Screenings,Screening, Mass,Screenings,Screenings, Mass
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010823 Physician Assistants Health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians. They deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. Duties may include physical exams, diagnosis and treatment of disease, interpretation of tests, assist in surgery, and prescribe medications. (from http://www.aapa.orglabout-pas accessed 2114/2011) Doctor's Assistant,Feldsher,Feldshers,Physician Assistant,Physicians' Assistants,Physicians' Extender,Physicians' Extenders,Doctor's Assistants,Assistant, Doctor's,Assistant, Physicians',Assistants, Doctor's,Assistants, Physician,Assistants, Physicians',Doctor Assistant,Doctor Assistants,Doctors Assistant,Extender, Physicians',Extenders, Physicians',Physician Extender,Physician Extenders,Physician's Assistants,Physician's Extender,Physician's Extenders,Physicians Assistants,Physicians Extender,Physicians' Assistant
D011785 Quality Assurance, Health Care Activities and programs intended to assure or improve the quality of care in either a defined medical setting or a program. The concept includes the assessment or evaluation of the quality of care; identification of problems or shortcomings in the delivery of care; designing activities to overcome these deficiencies; and follow-up monitoring to ensure effectiveness of corrective steps. Quality Assessment, Health Care,Health Care Quality Assessment,Health Care Quality Assurance,Healthcare Quality Assessment,Healthcare Quality Assurance,Quality Assessment, Healthcare,Quality Assurance, Healthcare,Assessment, Healthcare Quality,Assessments, Healthcare Quality,Assurance, Healthcare Quality,Assurances, Healthcare Quality,Healthcare Quality Assessments,Healthcare Quality Assurances,Quality Assessments, Healthcare,Quality Assurances, Healthcare
D002983 Clinical Competence The capability to perform acceptably those duties directly related to patient care. Clinical Skills,Competence, Clinical,Clinical Competency,Clinical Skill,Competency, Clinical,Skill, Clinical,Skills, Clinical,Clinical Competencies,Competencies, Clinical
D003113 Colonoscopy Endoscopic examination, therapy or surgery of the luminal surface of the colon. Colonoscopic Surgical Procedures,Surgical Procedures, Colonoscopic,Colonoscopic Surgery,Surgery, Colonoscopic,Colonoscopic Surgeries,Colonoscopic Surgical Procedure,Colonoscopies,Procedure, Colonoscopic Surgical,Procedures, Colonoscopic Surgical,Surgeries, Colonoscopic,Surgical Procedure, Colonoscopic
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072102 Gastroenterologists Physicians who specialize in treating diseases of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. Hepatologists,Gastroenterologist,Hepatologist

Related Publications

M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Quality and safety of screening colonoscopies performed by primary care physicians with standby specialist support.
August 2010, Medical care,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
[Quality criteria in screening colonoscopies].
December 2014, Gastroenterologia y hepatologia,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Quality assurance for screening colonoscopies.
April 2008, Zeitschrift fur Gastroenterologie,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Comparing quality, safety, and costs of colonoscopies performed by nurse vs physician trainees.
March 2014, Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Evaluating the Safety and Quality of Diagnostic Colonoscopies Performed by General Surgeons: A Retrospective Study.
May 2023, Cureus,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Alberta Family Physician Electronic Endoscopy study: Quality of 1769 colonoscopies performed by rural Canadian family physicians.
December 2018, Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
[Colonoscopies performed as surgical outclinic procedures].
February 2007, Ugeskrift for laeger,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Evaluation of the quality of colonoscopies performed by Alberta North Zone surgeons, family physicians and internists: a quality improvement initiative.
January 2023, CMAJ open,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Serrated polyp detection rate in colonoscopies performed by gastrointestinal fellows.
January 2022, Therapeutic advances in gastrointestinal endoscopy,
M Phillip Fejleh, and Ching-Chieh Shen, and Jacqueline Chen, and Joseph A Bushong, and Brian K Dieckgraefe, and Gregory S Sayuk
Impact of type 2 diabetes on adenoma detection in screening colonoscopies performed in disparate populations.
April 2021, World journal of clinical cases,
Copied contents to your clipboard!