Gut Check on Gastroenterology Archive

December 30th, 2012

Quality Colonoscopy: How do you let your patients know you meet the mark?

Colonoscopy prevents most colorectal cancers, but only when it is performed as part of a high-quality examination. The quality measures most often discussed include cecal intubation rate, cecal withdrawal time, documentation of bowel prep quality in endoscopy reports, adenoma detection rate  (ADR), and appropriate recommendation of subsequent screening or surveillance intervals after colonoscopy. While third-party payers […]

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August 29th, 2012

SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth): How common is it, and how should we diagnose it?

Our hospital used to provide hydrogen breath testing for the community but recently discontinued this practice. I was asked to comment on whether it should be discontinued and how often I used the test. It surprised me that I had not ordered a hydrogen breath test in the 2 decades I have been here but […]

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February 18th, 2009

CMS and CT Colonography: What’s the Beef About?

Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they are not likely to cover virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography or CTC) for colorectal cancer screening in Medicare beneficiaries. The announcement came just months after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force declined to recommend the test, citing insufficient evidence. Not surprisingly, the radiology […]

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