Certification of UK gastrointestinal endoscopists and variations between trainee specialties: results from the JETS e-portfolio.

In the UK, endoscopy certification is administered by the Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (JAG). Since 2011, certification for upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy has been awarded via a national (JETS) e-portfolio to the main training specialties of: gastroenterology, gastrointestinal surgeons (GS) and non-medical endoscopists (NME). Trends in endoscopy certification and differences between trainee specialties were analyzed.

Evaluating changes in gastrointestinal endoscopy training over 5 years: closing the audit loop.

Background: An audit in 2002 showed that colonoscopy training in a large London training region was poorly structured, with the quality of supervision below recommendations and high reported complication rates. In 2004, the UK National Endoscopy Training Programme introduced centrally funded, accredited courses and new assessment tools to standardize training and raise the quality of colonoscopy by improving the skills of practicing endoscopists.

Aim: To evaluate the changes in the standard of colonoscopy training over the last 5 years.

Simulator training improves practical skills in therapeutic GI endoscopy: results from a randomized, blinded, controlled study.

Background: Therapeutic endoscopic procedures are technically challenging and have higher complication rates than diagnostic procedures. Less-experienced practitioners are significantly more likely to have a complication, yet there is very limited evidence of the efficacy of training in such procedures.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of knowledge-based teaching and hands-on, simulation-based skills training in 4 therapeutic endoscopic procedures: control of nonvariceal upper GI bleeding, polypectomy, stricture dilation, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube insertion.

Development of a novel esophageal stricture simulation.

Background And Study Aims: Esophageal stricture dilatation has a significant morbidity and mortality and training can be difficult to obtain. The aim of the study was to investigate the face validity of a novel stricture simulation and evaluate its utility for training in balloon-dilatation technique.

Methods: Single-use stricture simulations were used to adapt a mechanical model for use in esophageal stricture dilatation.