Does trainee participation during colonoscopy affect adenoma detection rates?
BACKGROUND
Training future endoscopists is essential to meeting the increasing demands for colonoscopy. It remains unknown whether adenoma detection rates are adversely affected by trainee participation.


METHODS
This is a single-center, prospective study. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether adenoma detection rates differed between procedures with or without trainee involvement. A total of 368 consecutive patients entered the analysis (181 with trainee participation and 187 without).


RESULTS
Adenomas were detected in 19.3% of experienced physician-only procedures and in 14.9% of procedures with trainee participation. Advanced adenomas were detected in 8.6% of experienced physicians' procedures vs. 4.9% of trainee procedures. Polyp detection was nearly identical in both groups (32% for experienced physicians; 33% for trainees). Trainee participation delayed the procedure by a mean of seven minutes.


CONCLUSIONS
Adenoma detection rates did not differ significantly, whether there was trainee involvement or not. A trend toward finding more adenomas or advanced adenomas in the absence of a trainee was observed, but it was lower than previously reported interobserver variability among experienced physicians. The small difference in adenoma detection was not observed for polyp detection, which may be explained by the more frequent removal of hyperplastic polyps by trainees.
Eckardt
Alexander J
AJ
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Central Interdisciplinary Endoscopy Unit, Charité University Hospitals Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany. alexander.eckardt@charite.de
Swales
Colin
C
Bhattacharya
Kanishka
K
Wassef
Wahid Y
WY
Leung
Katherine
K
Levey
John M
JM
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged