A study published in Gastroenterology found quality in colonoscopies can be assessed using a new tool which can track hospital follow-ups in outpatient facilities, as reported by MD News.
Researchers from Yale University sampled patients from the 2010 Medicare outpatient colonoscopy claims to examine estimated rates of unplanned hospital visits within seven days of the patients’ colonoscopies at outpatient facilities.
Here are four points:
1. About 16 per 1,000 outpatient colonoscopies resulted in unplanned hospital visits within a week after the procedure among Medicare beneficiaries.
2. The rates significantly varied across outpatient facilities, which suggested there was a disparity in the quality of care.
3. The most common causes of unplanned hospital visits were hemorrhage, abdominal pain and perforation.
4. Included among 15 variables that were independently associated with hospital visits were a history of fluid and electrolyte imbalances, psychiatric disorders and, in the absence of prior arrhythmia, age increasing after 65 years.