ASCs perform elective upper and lower endoscopy on two separate days far more frequently than hospital outpatient departments do, even though the procedures could be performed on the same day, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Four findings:
1. Performing both upper and lower endoscopy during the same visit is convenient for patients and reduces the risk of sedation, according to Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan researchers.
2. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore examined how often different outpatient settings perform elective upper endoscopy and elective lower endoscopy on two separate days.
3. The rate of different-day endoscopy was significantly higher at freestanding ASCs (22.2 percent) and physician offices (47.7 percent) than at hospital outpatient departments (13.6 percent).
4. The study involved Medicare beneficiaries who underwent the procedures from Jan. 1, 2011, to June 30, 2018. A total of 4,028,587 upper and lower endoscopy pairs were examined.
"This disparity in practice pattern by practice setting may represent an opportunity for quality improvement and financial savings for common endoscopic procedures," researchers concluded.
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