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QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
Gastroenterology Specialists of Oregon (GSO) and The Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center engage in a number of internal Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement processes. Each process focuses on a different element of GI care, and challenges us to continually improve the care that we provide, and the efficiencies of our work.
Education Sessions
The providers at GSO have a culture of continuing education and evidence based medicine.
Each month, the providers at Gastroenterology Specialists of Oregon meet to discuss "what's new in GI".
Lead by Dr. S Jon Mason, the providers review national guidelines and best practices as established by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).
We have adopted guidelines for the treatment of Hepatitis C and colitis and for hereditary and routine colon cancer surveillance.
Physician Peer Review
The Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center has a formal Peer Review process where procedures performed within the Endoscopy Centers are reviewed. The Peer Review process allows The Gastroenterology Endoscopy to proactively identify areas that can be improved, and it creates an environment of learning; "to learn the best from the best".
QA/QI Committee
The Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center's Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Committee provides a venue for patient complaints, adverse events and new workflows to be reviewed and addressed. The QA/QI Committee is comprised of three physicians from GSO, the Endoscopy Nurse Manager and Endo QA Manager.
Below are the Quality Indicators and Complication Rate for The Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center as compared to national benchmarks.
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Complications:
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National
Benchmark*
|
Gastroenterology
Endoscopy
Center, Inc
Average (Year 2009)
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| Colonoscopy Perforations |
< 1%
|
0.00%
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| Colonoscopy Hemorrhage |
< 1%
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0.22%
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| EGD Perforations |
< 1%
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0.00%
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| EGD Hemorrhage |
< 1%
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0.03%
|
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Quality Indicators:
|
National
Benchmark
|
Gastroenterology
Endoscopy
Center, Inc
Average
|
|
Cecal Intubation
|
> 95% in screening
health adults
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98.55%
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| Adenoma Detection Rate |
> 25%
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38.44%
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| Polyp Find Rate (Screen) |
> 25%
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59.56%
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| Withdrawal Time |
> 6 Minutes
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9 minutes, 35 seconds
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* National benchmarks are from Rex, DK, et al. Quality Indicators for Colonoscopy. Gastrointestional
Endoscopy 2006; 63: S16-S28.
Note: Data analysis completed as of December 31, 2009, for 2009 procedure data.
Electronic Medical Record
The providers and staff at GSO were early adopters of an electronic medical record (EMR). GSO began using an EMR system in the mid 1990s. In 2006, GSO selected a new EMR system that has advanced features that will allow lab results to be sent to a patient's personal email account. We hope to offer this service in early 2009.
Pathology Results
Our commitment to quality extends to our selection of vendors for pathology services. The Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center sends most of their pathology specimens to Providence Health System Laboratories or Caris Diagnostics, Inc (dependent upon insurance contracts). Both Providence and Caris have direct interfaces to our EMR system, which allows for more efficient processing of pathology results.
Caris Diagnostics assists their clients to track and measure specific quality indicators, such as the rate of adenomatous polyp detection and cecal intubation rates. Our Endoscopy Center can then compare our quality indicators to other GI practices that use Caris, as well as to national benchmarks.
In addition to Caris' commitment to high quality GI pathology services and benchmarking tools, Caris provides Patient Education information (Conditions of the GI Tract) and links on their webpage. |
