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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
How to Improve Reprocessing of Flexible Endoscopes Nationwide? Data from the German Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
Contributor:
Fröhlich, Eckhart;
Leiß, Ottmar;
Muller, Reinhold
imprint:
Hindawi Limited, 2013
Published in:ISRN Endoscopy
Language:
English
DOI:
10.5402/2013/495039
ISSN:
2090-9411
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
<jats:p><jats:italic>Background and Aims</jats:italic>. International studies revealed prevalences of around 50% of microbiological contaminations in reprocessed flexible endoscopes. In Germany a system was installed where the qualification for refund for colonoscopies was made conditional on successfully passing twice annually a microbiological surveillance test of reprocessed endoscopes. This study is an implementation and outcome evaluation as well as a general discussion of the quality assessment assurance in colonoscopy in Germany.<jats:italic>Methods</jats:italic>. German data from 2003–2008 were analysed: number of endoscopic units performing therapeutic and/or screening colonoscopies; results of all microbiological surveillance tests of reprocessing quality; number of failed surveillance tests and retests; number of qualifications for refund from the public health system cancelled due to repeated failure of microbiological surveillance tests.<jats:italic>Results</jats:italic>. After the introduction of the quality assessment assurance, the percentage of failed microbiological surveillance tests dropped significantly and steadily from close to 17% to below 5%.<jats:italic>Conclusions</jats:italic>. This study evidences (1st) the successful implementation of the quality assessment assurance in Germany and (2nd) a substantial improvement in the quality of reprocessing flexible endoscopes achieved by these measures.</jats:p>