In this edition of Sharma’s Endoscopy Insights, I focus on high-quality endoscopy. We continue to miss lesions during endoscopic examination, highlighting the need for improved quality in surveillance. Phone apps may be able to help with that, especially in improving adherence to recommended surveillance guidance. Finally, keep an eye out for patients who have positive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) results—some also may harbor upper GI cancer.
Gastric cancer can be missed. In the first study, approximately 4% of patients undergoing endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer had previously missed gastric cancer. This finding again highlights the importance of a high-quality examination. Endoscopists need to look at critical sites in the stomach during endoscopy.
In the second study I highlight, the results of an initial randomized controlled trial showed that endoscopists who received a digital tool that computes recommended colonoscopy intervals were more likely to adhere to surveillance guidelines. Since we are far into the digital age, the use of such apps could improve the quality of care in endoscopy as it has done in other areas of gastroenterology and medicine.