AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement Recruits Participants for Colonoscopy Benchmarking Study

WILMETTE, Ill. -- The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Institute For Quality Improvement (AAAHC Institute) is recruiting participants for the fourth colonoscopy benchmarking study. This study, open to both AAAHC-accredited and non-accredited organizations, will track: procedure times, preparation, indications for the procedure, anesthesia, complications, findings, and patient understanding of the procedure, comfort during bowel prep and the procedure, and patient satisfaction. Each facility participating in the study also will be asked to complete a one-page general information survey. This includes questions on patient volume for this procedure, patient instructions, medications, colonoscopes, and scope re-processing.

New to this year's survey will be new questions/wording, to examine issues including: staffing, adequacy of bowel prep, use of antibiotic prophylaxis, surgery scheduling time (time from when the patient knows s/he is having the procedure to when the procedure happens), and number of beds.

Organizations that have participated in previous AAAHC Institute colonoscopy studies have learned (among other valuable information): means of reducing procedure times without compromising (and sometimes improving) outcomes; other organizations using different anesthetic techniques and saving time/cost; and, the importance of patient comfort in willingness to have another colonoscopy. In addition, by participating in this AAAHC Institute study, organizations also meet accreditation standards specified in Chapter 5IIG of the AAAHC Accreditation Handbook.

One significant finding from the third colonoscopy benchmarking study conducted in 2003 was that 96 percent of patient respondents in this study gave positive ratings on their overall satisfaction with their experience. This appears to counter common perceptions that the discomfort associated with a colonoscopy may prevent patients from using this potentially life-saving procedure for the early detection and removal of colorectal cancer.

Recognizing that the early detection of colon cancer (the second most frequent cause of cancer in the United States, not including skin cancer), more than 1 million annual colonoscopies are performed annually at ambulatory centers (the second most frequently performed procedure in ambulatory care). This best-practice study will help organizations understand and improve the quality of care they deliver for this vital diagnostic procedure.

The cost to participate in the study is $400 for AAAHC-accredited organizations and $500 for non-accredited organizations. The registration deadline is June 28, 2004. To obtain a registration form, visit the Accreditation Institute online at www.aaahciqi.org (click under the "Studies" section).

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care established the AAAHC Institute in 1999 to provide ambulatory healthcare organizations opportunities to participate in clinical performance measurement studies and educational programs. To date, the AAAHC Institute has conducted and published 15 clinical performance measurement studies and has convened a national forum on quality improvement in ambulatory health care annually. Involvement in clinical performance measurement is a signal to patients, government agencies, professional liability insurers, and third-party payors, that an ambulatory health organization is concerned about continually improving the care it provides to its patients.

Source: AAAHC