Real-world experience with biosimilar infliximab-adba and infliximab-dyyb among infliximab-naïve patients with inflammatory bowel disease in the Veterans Health Administration.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) listed the infliximab (IFX) biosimilar, IFX-dyyb (Inflectra), on the Veterans Affairs National Formulary (VANF) in May 2017. In September 2018, biosimilar IFX-abda (Renflexis) became the VANF IFX product. The recommended formulary changes from one IFX biosimilar to another provided a unique opportunity to study IFX utilization patterns in IFX-naïve Veterans with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This study aimed to describe IFX and healthcare utilization during the 365 days after initiation with IFX reference product (RP) or biosimilars IFX-dyyb and IFX-adba. This descriptive study was performed using the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse. All Veterans initiated on IFX-RP (Remicade) or biosimilars IFX-dyyb and IFX-adba between September 1, 2016 and December 30, 2019 were included and followed for 365 days. Veterans enrolled in the VHA for at least 365 days with no evidence of IFX before their index date were considered IFX-naïve. Continuous data on IFX use, laboratory measurements, and healthcare utilization were reported with means, 95% confidence interval (CI), medians, and interquartile ranges. Frequency, proportions, and 95% CIs were presented for categorical variables. Statistical tests included ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis for continuous outcomes, Poisson regression for count-based outcomes (i.e., healthcare utilization visits), and Chi-square for dichotomous outcomes. The study identified 1763 IFX-naïve patients with IBD, and 785, 441, and 537 was indexed to RP, IFX-dyyb, and IFX-adba, respectively. Statistical differences were observed in IFX utilization measures related to dosing, adherence, and persistence. The proportion of days covered (PDC) during the 365-day follow-up period varied among the IFX groups: IFX-RP at 66%, IFX-dyyb at 60%, and IFX-abda at 69% (P value < .001). Persistence with the index IFX product during the 365-day follow-up period also varied: IFX-RP at 43%, IFX-dyyb at 32%, and IFX-abda at 51% (P value < .001). Healthcare utilization and laboratory findings were similar among the IFX groups. IFX utilization and laboratory patterns were clinically similar among the IFX biosimilars and RP groups, suggesting that providers did not modify their practice with biosimilars. Statistically significant differences in IFX utilization patterns are explained by formulary dynamics when the VANF product switched from IFX-dyyb to IFX-abda.

Incidence of retained biopsy specimens after esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy.

Background and study aims In gastrointestinal endoscopy, biopsies must transit through the accessory channel and cap, presenting an opportunity for loss of tissue. We sought to determine the incidence of specimen retention in the accessory channel or cap and identify procedure characteristics associated with specimen retention. Patients and methods After completion of standard endoscopic procedures in which biopsies were obtained, the biopsy cap and accessory channel were inspected, brushed, and irrigated for any retained biopsy specimens according to a standard protocol. For controls, the same protocol was applied to procedures in which biopsies were not obtained. Specimen bottles from the recovery protocol were sent for pathological examination regardless of whether any visible tissue was present. Results A total of 216 outpatient procedures were included: 55 esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) and 50 colonoscopies in which biopsies were obtained and 56 EGDs and 55 colonoscopies in the control group. Retained specimens were found in either the cap or channel in 50 of 105 (48%). In 20 of 105 (19%), retained specimens were found just in the cap, in six of 105 (5.7%), retained specimens were found just in the channel, while in 24 of 105 (23%), retained specimens were found in both the cap and channel. Retained specimens were more likely to be found in EGDs compared to colonoscopies (58% vs. 36%, P = 0.031). No retained specimens were found in the control group. Conclusions Retained specimens are startingly common in standard gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures and could potentially change diagnoses and management. Quality improvement measures should be instituted to monitor prevalence of retained biopsies and methods to prevent them should be developed.

Multi-ancestry genome- and phenome-wide association studies of diverticular disease in electronic health records with natural language processing enriched phenotyping algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: Diverticular disease (DD) is one of the most prevalent conditions encountered by gastroenterologists, affecting ~50% of Americans before the age of 60. Our aim was to identify genetic risk variants and clinical phenotypes associated with DD, leveraging multiple electronic health record (EHR) data sources of 91,166 multi-ancestry participants with a Natural Language Processing (NLP) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a NLP-enriched phenotyping algorithm that incorporated colonoscopy or abdominal imaging reports to identify patients with diverticulosis and diverticulitis from multicenter EHRs. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of DD in European, African and multi-ancestry participants, followed by phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) of the risk variants to identify their potential comorbid/pleiotropic effects in clinical phenotypes. RESULTS: Our developed algorithm showed a significant improvement in patient classification performance for DD analysis (algorithm PPVs ≥ 0.94), with up to a 3.5 fold increase in terms of the number of identified patients than the traditional method. Ancestry-stratified analyses of diverticulosis and diverticulitis of the identified subjects replicated the well-established associations between ARHGAP15 loci with DD, showing overall intensified GWAS signals in diverticulitis patients compared to diverticulosis patients. Our PheWAS analyses identified significant associations between the DD GWAS variants and circulatory system, genitourinary, and neoplastic EHR phenotypes. DISCUSSION: As the first multi-ancestry GWAS-PheWAS study, we showcased that heterogenous EHR data can be mapped through an integrative analytical pipeline and reveal significant genotype-phenotype associations with clinical interpretation. CONCLUSION: A systematic framework to process unstructured EHR data with NLP could advance a deep and scalable phenotyping for better patient identification and facilitate etiological investigation of a disease with multilayered data.

Leveraging Natural Language Processing to Extract Features of Colorectal Polyps From Pathology Reports for Epidemiologic Study.

PURPOSE: Histopathologic features are critical for studying risk factors of colorectal polyps, but remain deeply embedded within unstructured pathology reports, requiring costly and time-consuming manual abstraction for research. In this study, we developed and evaluated a natural language processing (NLP) pipeline to automatically extract histopathologic features of colorectal polyps from pathology reports, with an emphasis on individual polyp size. These data were then linked with structured electronic health record (EHR) data, creating an analysis-ready epidemiologic data set. METHODS: We obtained 24,584 pathology reports from colonoscopies performed at the University of Utah's Gastroenterology Clinic. Two investigators annotated 350 reports to determine inter-rater agreement, develop an annotation scheme, and create a reference standard for performance evaluation. The pipeline was then developed, and performance was compared against the reference for extracting polyp location, histology, size, shape, dysplasia, and the number of polyps. Finally, the pipeline was applied to 24,225 unseen reports and NLP-extracted data were linked with structured EHR data. RESULTS: Across all features, our pipeline achieved a precision of 98.9%, a recall of 98.0%, and an F1-score of 98.4%. In patients with polyps, the pipeline correctly extracted 95.6% of sizes, 97.2% of polyp locations, 97.8% of histology, 98.3% of shapes, and 98.3% of dysplasia levels. When applied to unseen data, the pipeline classified 12,889 patients as having polyps, 4,907 patients without polyps, and extracted the features of 28,387 polyps. Tubular adenomas were the most common subtype (55.9%), 8.1% of polyps were advanced adenomas, and the mean polyp size was 0.57 (±0.4) cm. CONCLUSION: Our pipeline extracted histopathologic features of colorectal polyps from colonoscopy pathology reports, most notably individual polyp sizes, with considerable accuracy. This study demonstrates the utility of NLP for extracting polyp features and linking these data with EHR data to create an epidemiologic data set to study colorectal polyp risk factors and outcomes.

A comprehensive intervention to enhance inpatient colon preparation quality for colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Adequate colon preparation is a critical component of high-quality colonoscopy especially for inpatients undergoing colonoscopy for acute indications. Inpatient colonoscopy has a high incidence of inadequate preparations. We report implementation of a multifaceted quality improvement intervention to improve inpatient colonoscopy preparations. METHODS: Bowel preparation quality from inpatient colonoscopies performed for the 12 months prior to the comprehensive intervention were compared to colonoscopies performed for 12 months following the intervention. The intervention had multiple components including: 1) EMR-based colonoscopy preparation order set; 2) automated EMR alerts prompting nursing assessment of preparation progress; 3) standardized nursing charting processes for tracking preparation progress; and 4) standardized education for nursing staff and ordering providers on adequate colon preparation, assessment of colon preparation quality, and use of the above processes; and print and video patient education materials. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-eight inpatient colonoscopies were performed in the preintervention assessment period and 163 colonoscopies in the postintervention period. Median preintervention Boston Bowel Preparation Score (BBPS) was 6 and 26% of patients had inadequate colon preparation. Median postintervention BBPS was 8 with 16% inadequate colon preparation (P=0.016). The postintervention group had less ASA class I patients and used a lower dose of fentanyl than the preintervention group. There were no other significant differences between the pre- and postintervention groups. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a comprehensive colon preparation quality intervention resulted in significantly improved inpatient colon preparation quality and decreased frequency of inadequate preparations. The intervention consisting of an EMR-based order-set, nursing alerts and charting process, and patient education materials is continually being refined.

Baseline Characteristics and Longitudinal Outcomes of Traditional Serrated Adenomas: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs) may confer increased risk for colorectal cancer (CRC). Our objective with this study was to examine clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes associated with TSA diagnosis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of U.S. Veterans ≥18 years of age with ≥1 TSA between 1999 and 2018. Baseline characteristics, colonoscopy findings, and diagnosis of incident and fatal CRC were abstracted. Advanced neoplasia was defined by CRC or adenoma with high-grade dysplasia, villous histology, or size ≥1 cm. Follow-up was through CRC diagnosis, death, or end of study (December 31, 2018). RESULTS: A total of 853 Veterans with a baseline TSA were identified; 74% were ≥60 years of age, 96% were men, 14% were Black, and 73% were non-Hispanic White. About 64% were current or former smokers. Over 2044 total person-years at follow-up, there were 11 incident CRC cases and 1 CRC death. Cumulative CRC incidence was 1.34% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67%-2.68%), and cumulative CRC death was 0.12% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.35%). Among the subset of 378 TSA patients with ≥1 surveillance colonoscopy, 65.1% had high-risk neoplasia on follow-up. CRC incidence among TSA patients was significantly higher than in a comparison cohort of patients with normal baseline colonoscopy at baseline (hazard ratio, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.63-8.41) and similar to a comparison cohort with baseline conventional advanced adenoma (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.45-1.64). CONCLUSION: Individuals with TSA have substantial risk for CRC based on their cumulative CRC incidence, as well as significant risk of developing other high-risk neoplasia at follow-up surveillance colonoscopy. These data underscore importance of current recommendations for close colonoscopy surveillance after TSA diagnosis.

COVID-19 Pandemic Had Minimal Impact on Colonoscopy Completion After Colorectal Cancer Red Flag Sign or Symptoms in US Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Delays in colonoscopy work-up for red flag signs or symptoms of colorectal cancer (CRC) during the COVID-19 pandemic are not well characterized. AIMS: To examine colonoscopy uptake and time to colonoscopy after red flag diagnosis, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Cohort study of adults ages 50-75 with iron deficiency anemia (IDA), hematochezia, or abnormal stool blood test receiving Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care from April 2019 to December 2020. Index date was first red flag diagnosis date, categorized into "pre" (April-December 2019) and "intra" (April-December 2020) policy implementation prioritizing diagnostic procedures, allowing for a 3-month "washout" (January-March 2020) period. Outcomes were colonoscopy completion and time to colonoscopy pre- vs. intra-COVID-19, examined using multivariable Cox models with hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: There were 52,539 adults with red flag signs or symptoms (pre-COVID: 25,154; washout: 7527; intra-COVID: 19,858). Proportion completing colonoscopy was similar pre- vs. intra-COVID-19 (27.0% vs. 26.5%; p = 0.24). Median time to colonoscopy among colonoscopy completers was similar for pre- vs. intra-COVID-19 (46 vs. 42 days), but longer for individuals with IDA (60 vs. 49 days). There was no association between time period and colonoscopy completion (aHR: 0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.03). CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopy work-up of CRC red flag signs and symptoms was not delayed within VHA during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly due to VHA policies supporting prioritization and completion. Further work is needed to understand how COVID-19 policies on screening and surveillance impact CRC-related outcomes, and how to optimize colonoscopy completion after a red flag diagnosis.

Adenoma Detection Rate and Clinical Characteristics Influence Advanced Neoplasia Risk After Colorectal Polypectomy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Postpolypectomy risk stratification for subsequent metachronous advanced neoplasia (MAN) is imprecise and does not account for colonoscopist adenoma detection rate (ADR). Our aim was to assess association of ADR with MAN and create a prediction model for postpolypectomy risk stratification incorporating ADR and other factors. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of individuals with baseline polypectomy and subsequent surveillance colonoscopy from 2004 to 2016 within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Clinical factors, polyp findings, and baseline colonoscopist ADR were considered for the model. Model performance (sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve) for identifying individuals with MAN was compared with 2020 U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (USMSTF) surveillance recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 30,897 individuals were randomly assigned 2:1 into independent model training and validation sets. Increasing age, male sex, diabetes, current smoking, adenoma number, polyp location, adenoma ≥10 mm or with tubulovillous/villous features, and decreasing colonoscopist ADR were independently associated with MAN. A range of 1.48- to 1.66-fold increased risk for MAN was observed for ADR in the lowest 3 quintiles (ADR <19.7%-39.3%) vs the highest quintile (ADR >47.0%). When the final model selected based on the training set was applied to the validation set, improved sensitivity and specificity over 2020 USMSTF risk stratification were achieved (P = .001), with an area under the curve of 0.62 (95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopist ADR is associated with MAN. Combining clinical factors and ADR for risk stratification has potential to improve postpolypectomy risk stratification. Improving ADR is likely to improve postpolypectomy outcomes.

Index diagnoses of gastric intestinal metaplasia in the United States: patient characteristics, endoscopic findings, and clinical practice patterns at a large tertiary care center.

Background: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a premalignant gastric mucosal change that is often incidentally detected during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Despite the established higher risk of gastric cancer associated with GIM, the incidence, prevalence, and outcomes data for GIM are limited in the United States (US), and practice patterns are highly variable. Objectives: Our primary objectives were to accurately identify incident histology-confirmed GIM cases and determine patient characteristics, endoscopy findings, Helicobacter pylori (HP) detection, and eradication treatment outcomes, as well as surveillance and follow-up recommendations. Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using administrative data. Methods: We first developed and validated a rule-based natural language processing tool to identify the patients with GIM on gastrointestinal pathology reports between 2011 and 2016. We then performed a manual chart review of all EGD procedures and associated pathology notes to confirm cases and obtain clinically relevant data. Results: In all, 414 patients with an index diagnosis of GIM were confirmed (prevalence = 2.5% of patients undergoing any EGD). A majority (52.4%) of patients were non-Hispanic white. The most common indication for EGD was abdominal pain (46.9%). A majority (55%) did not receive specific follow-up recommendations or were asked to see their primary care provider. HP testing was documented in 86% of patients, and detected in 94 patients (prevalence = 26.4%). Treatment was documented in 94.7% of cases, and eradication confirmed in only 34.8% of these cases. Conclusion: A large group of US patients with an index diagnosis of GIM was accurately identified. There was wide variability in clinical practice patterns including biopsy practice, HP treatment and eradication confirmation testing, and surveillance recommendations. This work demonstrates that there is a major unmet need for quality improvement efforts to standardize care for patients with GIM, a premalignant condition, and inform future prospective studies in a US population.

Clinical role of ambulatory reflux monitoring in PPI non-responders: recommendation statements.

BACKGROUND: Optimal ambulatory reflux monitoring methodology in symptomatic reflux patients continues to be debated. AIMS: To utilise published literature and expert opinion to develop recommendation statements addressing use of ambulatory reflux monitoring in clinical practice METHODS: The RAND Appropriateness Method (RAM) was utilised among 17 experts with discussion, revision and two rounds of ranking of recommendation statements. Ambulatory reflux monitoring protocol, methodology and thresholds ranked as appropriate by ≥80% of panellists met the criteria for appropriateness. RESULTS: Prolonged (96-h recommended) wireless pH monitoring off proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was identified as the appropriate diagnostic tool to assess the need for acid suppression in patients with unproven gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and persisting typical reflux symptoms despite once-daily PPI. Acid exposure time (AET) <4.0% on all days of monitoring with negative reflux-symptom association excludes GERD and does not support ongoing PPI treatment. Conversely, AET >6.0% across ≥2 days is conclusive evidence for GERD and supports treatment for GERD, while AET >10% across ≥2 days identifies severe acid burden that supports escalation of anti-reflux treatment. In previously proven GERD, impedance-pH monitoring on PPI is helpful in defining refractory GERD and mechanisms of continued symptoms; the presence of <40 reflux events, AET <2.0% and a negative reflux-symptom association does not support escalation of anti-reflux treatment. In contrast, AET > 4.0% and positive reflux-symptom association support escalation of anti-reflux treatment, including use of invasive therapeutics. CONCLUSIONS: Statements meeting appropriateness for average clinical care have been identified when utilising reflux monitoring in patients with typical reflux symptoms and PPI non-response.

Pre-endoscopy coronavirus disease 2019 screening and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 nucleic acid amplification testing in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system: clinical practice patterns, outcomes, and relationship to procedure volume.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had profound impacts worldwide, including on the performance of GI endoscopy. We aimed to describe the performance and outcomes of pre-endoscopy COVID-19 symptom and exposure screening and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) across the national Veterans Affairs healthcare system and describe the relationship of SARS-CoV-2 NAAT use and resumption of endoscopy services. METHODS: COVID-19 screening and NAAT results from March 2020 to April 2021 were analyzed to determine use, performance characteristics of screening, and association between testing and endoscopic volume trends. RESULTS: Of 220,891 completed endoscopies identified, 115,890 (52.5%) had documented preprocedure COVID-19 symptom and exposure screenings and 154,127 (69.8%) had preprocedure NAAT results within 7 days before scheduled endoscopy. Of 131,894 total canceled endoscopies, 26,475 (20.1%) had screening data and 28,505 (21.6%) had SARS-CoV-2 NAAT results. Overall, positive NAAT results were reported in 1.8% of all individuals tested and in 1.3% of those who screened negative. Among completed and canceled endoscopies, COVID-19 screening had a 34.6% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.4%-36.8%) and 96.4% specificity (95% CI, 96.2%-96.5%) when compared with NAAT. COVID-19 screening had a positive predictive value of 15.0% (95% CI, 14.0%-16.1%) and a negative predictive value of 98.7% (95% CI, 98.7%-98.8%). There was a very weak correlation between monthly testing and monthly endoscopy volume by site (Spearman rank correlation coefficient = .09). CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important implications for decisions about preprocedure testing, especially given breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals during the SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variant surge.

Higher Quality Colonoscopy: Worth the Wait?

ABSTRACT: To meet the high demand for colonoscopy, the Veterans Health Administration often refers veterans to community practices. Petros et al. compared colonoscopy quality at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center with that of local community practices. Although community providers performed more timely colonoscopy than the Veterans Affairs medical center (mean 25 days earlier), colonoscopy quality was significantly lower for other important quality metrics, including adenoma detection, advanced adenoma detection, adenomas per colonoscopy, and appropriate surveillance recommendations. This study highlights the need for continued efforts to assure high-quality colonoscopy in all settings.

Individualized feedback on colonoscopy skills improves group colonoscopy quality in providers with lower adenoma detection rates.

Background and study aims Colonoscopy inspection quality (CIQ) assesses skills (fold examination, cleaning, and luminal distension) during inspection for polyps and correlates with adenoma detection rate (ADR) and serrated detection rate (SDR). We aimed to determine whether providing individualized CIQ feedback with instructional videos improves quality metrics performance. Methods We prospectively studied 16 colonoscopists who already received semiannual benchmarked reports of quality metrics (ADR, SDR, and withdrawal time [WT]). We randomly selected seven colonoscopies/colonoscopist for evaluation. Six gastroenterologists graded CIQ using an established scale. We created instructional videos demonstrating optimal and poor inspection techniques. Colonoscopists received the instructional videos and benchmarked CIQ performance. We compared ADR, SDR, and WT in the 12 months preceding ("baseline") and following CIQ feedback. Colonoscopists were stratified by baseline ADR into lower (≤ 34 %) and higher-performing (> 34 %) groups. Results Baseline ADR was 38.5 % (range 26.8 %-53.8 %) and SDR was 11.2 % (2.8 %-24.3 %). The proportion of colonoscopies performed by lower-performing colonoscopists was unchanged from baseline to post-CIQ feedback. All colonoscopists reviewed their CIQ report cards. Post-feedback, ADR (40.1 % vs 38.5 %, P  = 0.1) and SDR (12.2 % vs. 11.2 %, P  = 0.1) did not significantly improve; WT significantly increased (11.4 vs 12.4 min, P  < 0.01). Among the eight lower-performing colonoscopists, group ADR (31.1 % vs 34.3 %, P  = 0.02) and SDR (7.2 % vs 9.1 %, P  = 0.02) significantly increased post-feedback. In higher-performing colonoscopists, ADR and SDR did not change. Conclusions CIQ feedback modestly improves ADR and SDR among colonoscopists with lower baseline ADR but has no effect on higher-performing colonoscopists. Individualized feedback on colonoscopy skills could be used to improve polyp detection by lower-performing colonoscopists.

Cecal retroflexion is infrequently performed in routine practice and the retroflexed view is of poor quality.

BACKGROUND: As right colon polyps are challenging to detect, a retroflexed view of right colon (RV) may be useful. However, cecal retroflexion (CR) without a RV to the hepatic flexure (HF) is inadequate. We aimed to determine the frequency of CR and quality of the RV in routine practice. METHODS: This prospective observational study performed at an academic medical center assessed colonoscopy inspection technique of endoscopists who had performed ≥ 100 annual screening colonoscopies. We video recorded ≥ 28 screening/surveillance colonoscopies per endoscopist and randomly evaluated 7 videos per endoscopist. Six gastroenterologists blindly reviewed the videos to determine if CR was performed and HF withdrawal time (cecum to HF time, excluding ileal/polypectomy time). RESULTS: Reviewers assessed 119 colonoscopies performed by 17 endoscopists. The median HF withdrawal time was 3 min and 46 s. CR was performed in 31% of colonoscopies. CR frequency varied between endoscopists with 9 never performing CR and 2 performing CR in all colonoscopies. When performed, nearly half (43%) of RVs did not extend to the HF with median RV duration of 16 s (IQR 9-30 s). Three polyps were identified in the RV (polyp detection rate of 8.1%), all identified prior to a forward view. CONCLUSIONS: CR is performed infrequently in routine practice. When CR is performed, the RV is of low quality with a very short inspection duration and insufficient ascending colon examination. Further education is required to educate endoscopists in optimal technique to improve overall colonoscopy quality.

Adenoma Detection Rate (ADR) Irrespective of Indication Is Comparable to Screening ADR: Implications for Quality Monitoring.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is a key measure of colonoscopy quality. However, efficient measurement of ADR can be challenging because many colonoscopies are performed for non-screening purposes. Measuring ADR without being restricted to screening indication may likely facilitate more widespread implementation of quality monitoring. We hypothesized that the ADR for all colonoscopies, irrespective of the indication, would be equivalent to the ADR for screening colonoscopies. METHODS: We reviewed consecutive colonoscopies at two Veterans Affairs centers performed by 21 endoscopists over 6 months in 2015. We calculated the ADR for screening exams, non-screening (surveillance and diagnostic) exams, and all exams (irrespective of indication), correcting for within-endoscopist correlation. We then performed simulation modeling to calculate the ADRs under 16 hypothetical scenarios of various indication distributions. We simulated 100,000 trials with 3,000 participants, randomly assigned indication (screening, surveillance, diagnostic, and FIT+) from a multinomial distribution, randomly drew adenoma using the observed ADRs per indication, and calculated 95% confidence intervals of the mean differences in ADR of screening and non-screening indications. RESULTS: Among 2628 colonoscopies performed by 21 gastroenterologists, the indication was screening in 28.9%, surveillance in 48.2% and diagnostic in 22.9%. There was no significant difference in the ADR, 50% (95%CI: 45-56%) for all colonoscopies vs 49% (95%CI: 43-56%) for screening exams (p=.55). ADRs were 56% for surveillance and 38% for diagnostic exams. In our simulation modeling, only one out of 16 scenarios (screening 10%, surveillance 70%, diagnostic 10% and FIT+ 10%) resulted in a significant difference between the calculated ADRs for screening and non-screening indications. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the overall ADR computed from all colonoscopies was not significantly different than the conventional ADR based on screening colonoscopies. Assessing ADR for colonoscopy irrespective of indication may be adequate for quality monitoring, and could facilitate the implementation of quality measurement and reporting. Future prospective studies should evaluate the validity of using overall ADR for quality reporting in other jurisdictions before adopting this method in clinical practice.

Impact of Health Insurance, Poverty, and Comorbidities on Colorectal Cancer Screening: Insights from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

BACKGROUND: Despite national campaigns and other efforts to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, participation rates remain below targets set by expert panels. We hypothesized that availability and practice patterns of healthcare providers may contribute to this gap. METHOD: Using data of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for the years between 2000 and 2016, we extracted demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related data as well as reported experiences about barriers to care, correlating results with answers about recent participation in colorectal cancer screening. As CRC screening guidelines recommend initiation of testing at age 50, we focused on adults 50 years or older. RESULTS: We included responses of 163,564 participants for the period studied. There was a significant increase in CRC screening rates over time. Comorbidity burden, poverty, race, and ethnicity independently predicted participation in screening. Lack of insurance coverage and cost of care played an important role as reported barrier. Convenient access to care, represented by availability of appointments beyond typical business hours, and frequency of provider interactions, correlated with higher rates of screening. CONCLUSION: Our data show a positive effect of educational efforts and healthcare reform with coverage of screening. Easy and more frequent access to individual providers predicted a higher likelihood of completed screening tests. This finding could translate into more widespread implementation of screening programs, as the increasingly common virtual care delivery offers a new and convenient option to patients.