Improving Quality and Safety in the Endoscopy Unit (Virtual) | October 2024-ASGE Interventions to Improve UGI Performance

ASGE Interventions to Improve UGI Performance

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A document approved by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Governing Board assesses methods to enhance the quality of upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy procedures. While quality indicators for these procedures have been established, interventions to improve them are limited. Annually, over 6.1 million esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) are performed in the United States, highlighting the importance of standardized quality measures across different healthcare providers.<br /><br />The ASGE Quality Assurance in Endoscopy Committee reviewed the literature to identify interventions that have successfully enhanced these quality indicators. These interventions focus on various procedural phases: preprocedural, intraprocedural, and postprocedural.<br /><br />For preprocedural indicators, interventions like educational programs and implementing standardized electronic order sets were suggested to ensure appropriate EGD requests and compliance with necessary preparations, such as antibiotic prophylaxis.<br /><br />Intraprocedural improvements included the use of dictation templates and quality audits to ensure thorough documentation of the procedure and identification of significant findings. However, strong evidence on effective interventions to enhance sampling strategies for gastric pathology is lacking.<br /><br />Postprocedural interventions include providing patients with detailed endoscopy reports and follow-up plans to enhance compliance with recommended therapies and recall for surveillance.<br /><br />The document underscores the necessity of ongoing performance monitoring and providing feedback to improve EGD quality indicators. It also emphasizes the importance of education, robust auditing, and the integration of technology, such as artificial intelligence, in enhancing endoscopy quality.<br /><br />In conclusion, while significant recommendations to improve EGD quality are proposed, the document highlights the need for further research to solidify evidence-based practices in optimizing endoscopy performance and patient safety, making a call for increased advocacy and infrastructure to support these efforts.

Keywords

ASGE

gastrointestinal endoscopy

quality improvement

EGD procedures

standardized measures

interventions

preprocedural

intraprocedural

postprocedural

artificial intelligence