Photo- and video-documentation of gastrointestinal endoscopy in underresourced settings

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging
• Endoscopy Technology

Background:

• Visual documentation in gastrointestinal endoscopy is essential for competency assessment, training, and medicolegal purposes.
• Current methods for photo and video capture are often manual, time-consuming, or prohibitively expensive, especially in under-resourced healthcare settings.
• Major endoscopy equipment manufacturers offer solutions, but high costs present a significant hurdle to routine implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and describe a simple, low-cost method for still image and video capture in gastrointestinal endoscopy.
• To enable routine visual documentation using existing endoscopy equipment.

Main Methods:

• Development of a system using inexpensive hardware and open-access software.
• Integration of the system with current endoscopy equipment for image and video capture.
• Implementation in a hospital gastrointestinal unit for routine use.

Main Results:

• A functional and cost-effective system for still image and video capture has been successfully developed.
• The system has been implemented and is in routine use for various endoscopic procedures, including oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, and advanced interventional endoscopy.
• This approach addresses the challenge of high costs associated with commercial medical video hardware and software.

Conclusions:

• The developed low-cost system provides a viable solution for routine visual documentation in gastrointestinal endoscopy.
• This method can facilitate competency assessment, training, multidisciplinary team collaboration, and clinical audits, particularly in resource-limited environments.
• The system's successful implementation demonstrates its practicality and effectiveness for enhancing endoscopic reporting and training.