A nurse-led model at public academic hospitals maintains high adherence to colorectal cancer surveillance guidelines.

Objective: To examine the compliance of colorectal cancer surveillance decisions for individuals at greater risk with current evidence-based guidelines and to determine whether compliance differs between surveillance models.

Design: Prospective auditing of compliance of surveillance decisions with evidence-based guidelines (NHMRC) in two decision-making models: nurse coordinator-led decision making in public academic hospitals and physician-led decision making in private non-academic hospitals.

Setting: Selected South Australian hospitals participating in the Southern Co-operative Program for the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer (SCOOP).

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) versus radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG): A comparison of outcomes at an Australian teaching hospital.

Objective: Gastrostomy tubes for enteral nutrition are most commonly inserted via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) or radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) techniques. The current study aimed to compare clinical outcomes and complication rates in patients who underwent PEG and RIG procedures at a tertiary teaching hospital in Australia.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who underwent PEG or RIG tube insertion between February 2013 and February 2015 at Flinders Medical Centre, Australia.

Interval fecal immunochemical testing in a colonoscopic surveillance program speeds detection of colorectal neoplasia.

Background & Aims: Rapidly progressing or missed lesions can reduce the effectiveness of colonoscopy-based colorectal cancer surveillance programs. We investigated whether giving fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) for hemoglobin between surveillance colonoscopies resulted in earlier detection of neoplasia.

Methods: The study included 1736 patients with a family history or past neoplasia; they received at least 2 colonoscopy examinations and were followed for a total of 8863 years.

Improving management of oesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis.

Problem: A retrospective audit of management of oesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis identified the need to improve adherence to guidelines.

Design: Prospective audit of the effect of disseminating guidelines in 2004; prospective audit of the effect of a nurse coordinator for oesophageal variceal screening and surveillance from 2005 to 2008.

Setting: A major public hospital in Australia 2001-2008.

Accessing health information in a hospital setting: a consumer views study.

Meeting consumers' needs for health information is an important role for all health professionals. A Consumer Views Study was conducted at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) to ensure strategies for improving access to health information for staff and consumers were congruent with consumers' views. Semi-structured questionnaires were completed by 100 consumers of FMC services.

Applying evidence-based guidelines improves use of colonoscopy resources in patients with a moderate risk of colorectal neoplasia.

Objectives: To determine whether applying National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines for colorectal cancer prevention would reduce the number of follow-up colonoscopies.

Design: A prospective audit of colonoscopic surveillance decisions before and after the intervention.

Setting: The endoscopy suite at a metropolitan tertiary hospital three months before and after January 2000.