The study found colonoscopy quality and safety to be equivalent between nurses and physician trainees.
Cecal intubation
• Physicians: 93 percent
• Nurses: 95 percent
Withdrawal time
• Physicians: 9.8 minutes
• Nurses: 10.4 minutes
Adenoma detection rate
• Physicians: 27 percent
• Nurses: 27 percent
Complication rate
• Physicians: 0.5 percent
• Nurses: 0.5 percent
In the scenario where one gastroenterologist supervised three nurses the personnel costs decreased from $64.65 to $54.58.
The researchers concluded that supervised nurse endoscopists are able to perform colonoscopy in accordance with quality and safety standards. This model may substantially reduce costs.
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