Enhancing Colonoscopy Quality: Evaluating Adherence to Performance Measures in Ukraine.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Oncology
• Public Health

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening via colonoscopy significantly reduces mortality.
• Ukraine faces a high burden of CRC, necessitating quality improvement in screening practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Ukrainian endoscopists' adherence to international colonoscopy performance measures (PMs).
• To identify factors influencing the quality of screening colonoscopies in Ukraine.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing a web-based survey distributed to members of the EndoAcademy society in Ukraine.
• The survey evaluated adherence to six calculated and six noncalculated colonoscopy PMs.

Main Results:

• 122 endoscopists responded, reporting a median adherence to 6 quality PMs.
• Noncalculated PMs (e.g., polyp retrieval) were reported more frequently than calculated PMs (e.g., adenoma detection rate).
• Adherence to quality PMs, particularly photo/video recording and adequate procedure time, was associated with optimal polyp treatment.

Conclusions:

• This study reveals documentation gaps and variability in polyp management among Ukrainian endoscopists.
• Structured quality assurance, audit-and-feedback, and education based on international PMs are essential for Ukraine's population-based CRC screening program.