Note: Response has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What is the smartest decision you’ve made recently that has positively impacted your practice?
Dr. Mel Ona: The smartest decision we made was implementing an artificial intelligence-assisted polyp detection device during screening colonoscopy. We were the first private practice in Hawaii to use an AI module in July 2022. Since then, my adenoma detection rate increased from mid-40% to over 50%. We have also diagnosed over 60 colorectal cancers at our ASC since October 2020, many of which have occurred in younger patients (ages 20 to 45). We look forward to more innovations in the field of gastroenterology to assist in the detection and prevention of colorectal cancer.
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