title: Training mid-career internists to perform high-quality colonoscopy: a pilot training programme to meet increasing demands for colonoscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA. Despite a recent rise in CRC screening there remains an increasing demand for colonoscopy, yet a limited supply of gastroenterologists who can meet this need.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if a mid-career general internist (GIN) could be trained to perform high-quality colonoscopes via an intensive training programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  A GIN trained 2-3 days/week, 4-5 hours/day, for 7 months with an experienced gastroenterologist. Their independent performance was then compared with that of a gastroenterology attending (GA), with and without a gastroenterology fellow (GF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was to compare caecal intubation rates, adenoma detection rates (ADRs), interval CRC rates and complications between the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  989 patients were initially included in the study, and 818 were included in the final analysis. Caecal intubation rates were 95%, 94% and 93% for the GIN, GA+GF and GA, respectively (p=0.31). The overall polyp detection rates were 68%, 39% and 44% among the GIN, GA+GF and GA, respectively (p<0.0001). The ADRs were 56%, 33% and 34% for the GIN, GA+GF and GA, respectively (p<0.0001). Three complications occurred, all within the GA group. No interval cancers were diagnosed within a 5-year surveillance period, across all three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GIN attained high success rates in all quality measures. Training mid-career GINs to perform high-quality screening colonoscopes, through a standardised curriculum, may be a reasonable approach to address the growing demand for colonoscopists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole K
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8383-6839
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Shah-Ghassemzadeh
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Loma Linda VA Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA.
authors.forename: Christian S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Juma
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Loma Linda VA Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Strong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects
keywords: Primary care; cancer screening; colorectal cancer