Quality Measures for Colonoscopy: a Critical Evaluation

In a recent article in The New York Times, "The $2.7 Trillion Medical Bill,"(1) colonoscopy was singled out for its cost. In their response, the leading gastroenterology professional societies highlighted colonoscopy's effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). Affirming colonoscopy's central role in CRC prevention, both as a frontline test and as the final common pathway for other CRC screening modalities, requires strategies to measure and improve colonoscopy quality, particularly by controlling operator-dependent factors. Although colonoscopy is a powerful CRC screening test,(2-6) several recent studies have highlighted decreased protection, mainly against right-sided CRC,(5,7-16) an observation that has been linked to performance quality.