Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Videotaped colonoscopies may result in better physician performance and more accurate outcomes for patients, according to CureToday.com. A study lead by Dr. Douglas Rex with Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis found that videotaping such procedures resulted in a change in physician behavior. “Basically the doctors went slower and looked more carefully” when videotaped, Dr. Rex says. The findings were presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting in San Diego, Calif.

The study involved videotaping without their knowledge seven experienced endoscopists during 8 to 10 colonoscopies. The same endoscopists were then videotaped with their knowledge during 8 to 10 more colonoscopies. Those colonoscopies were graded based on various parameters, such as quality of the examination and length of time taken.

The average inspection time for colonoscopies performed while physicians knew they were being videotaped was longer (7.3 minutes) than when endoscopists were not aware they were being taped (4.9 minutes). Overall quality scores were also higher in the videotaped-aware group, with 3.8 vs. 2.9 on a 5-point scale. Significant improvements were also noticed in examinations of folds, distension and clean up when doctors knew they were being taped.

While videotaping colonoscopy procedures is not standard, given the study outcomes, “perhaps systematic video recording of colonoscopies will be considered” in the future, Dr. Rex says.

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