Quality metrics provide important insight into clinical performance, competency, patient safety and improvement opportunities. With near-perfect scores in every category, Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute’s skilled endoscopic specialists consistently exceed every national benchmark set by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
The digestive health program measures quality performance and competency of all appropriately indicated endoscopic procedures pre-, intra- and post-procedurally. “We push toward excellence, measuring metrics in every single procedure performed by every single physician in our institute,” says Shyam Varadarajulu, MD, president of Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute.
Protocol consistency and accountability create high quality metrics. “Our colleagues are consciously aware that outcomes are being observed and measured daily,” says Dr. Varadarajulu. “We provide feedback and a benchmark by which they can compare their performance against their institute colleagues and their peers nationwide. Even more unique, all of our physicians are comparable, and our quality of care is uniformly superior across the entire institute.”
Quality metrics for colonoscopy include consistency in reaching the cecum, withdrawal time, adenoma detection rate and safe removal of all lesions. “Our cecum metrics are greater than 99 percent,” says Dr. Varadarajulu. “Adenoma detection rates are more than 10 percent higher than the national benchmark. Our withdrawal times are almost twice as long, and complication rates are almost negligible.”
Benchmarks in upper endoscopy require continuous monitoring of several measurements such as appropriately performing procedures for correct indications. “The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy benchmark is 80 percent,” says Dr. Varadarajulu. “Our average is close to 100 percent following all recommendations in the guidelines.”
The digestive health program is currently integrating GI Genius, an artificial intelligence program, into endoscopes across their system to increase the polyp identification rate. “Even without AI, we are currently exceeding the benchmark,” says Dr. Varadarajulu. “With GI Genius integrated, we believe we will have the highest benchmark achievable.”
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute is a national and international destination for best-in-class clinical care and serves as a referral center of excellence, leading research and educational initiatives globally. Dr. Varadarajulu is the editor of Endosonography, which is in its fifth edition and has become the prescribed reference textbook worldwide for trainees interested in pursuing a career in endoscopic ultrasound.
EUS-Guided Gastroenterostomy Is Focus of Clinical Trial for Gastric Outlet Obstruction in Pancreatic Cancer
