UK key performance indicators and quality assurance standards for colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy should be delivered by endoscopists performing high quality procedures. The British Society of Gastroenterology, the UK Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy, and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland have developed quality assurance measures and key performance indicators for the delivery of colonoscopy within the UK. This document sets minimal standards for delivery of procedures along with aspirational targets that all endoscopists should aim for.

Patient experience of CT colonography and colonoscopy after fecal occult blood test in a national screening programme.

Objective: To investigate patient experience of CT colonography (CTC) and colonoscopy in a national screening programme.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patient experience postal questionnaires. We included screenees from a fecal occult blood test (FOBt) based screening programme, where CTC was performed when colonoscopy was incomplete or deemed unsuitable.

The global prevalence of IBS in adults remains elusive due to the heterogeneity of studies: a Rome Foundation working team literature review.

Objectives: The global prevalence of IBS is difficult to ascertain, particularly in light of the heterogeneity of published epidemiological studies. The aim was to conduct a literature review, by experts from around the world, of community-based studies on IBS prevalence.

Design: Searches were conducted using predetermined search terms and eligibility criteria, including papers in all languages.

Parental reminder, recall and educational interventions to improve early childhood immunisation uptake: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways of reducing childhood mortality. Despite global uptake of childhood vaccinations increasing, rates remain sub-optimal, meaning that vaccine-preventable diseases still pose a public health risk. A range of interventions to promote vaccine uptake have been developed, although this range has not specifically been reviewed in early childhood.

Optimising faecal occult blood screening:retrospective analysis of NHS Bowel Cancer Screening data to improve the screening algorithm.

Background: Colorectal neoplasia causes bleeding, enabling detection using Faecal Occult Blood tests (FOBt). The National Health Service (NHS) Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) guaiac-based FOBt (gFOBt) kits contain six sample windows (or 'spots') and each kit returns either a positive, unclear or negative result. Test kits with five or six positive windows are termed 'abnormal' and the subject is referred for further investigation, usually colonoscopy.

Definition and taxonomy of interval colorectal cancers: a proposal for standardising nomenclature.

Objective: Interval colorectal cancers (interval CRCs), that is, cancers occurring after a negative screening test or examination, are an important indicator of the quality and effectiveness of CRC screening and surveillance. In order to compare incidence rates of interval CRCs across screening programmes, a standardised definition is required. Our goal was to develop an internationally applicable definition and taxonomy for reporting on interval CRCs.

Interval colorectal cancers in inflammatory bowel disease: the grim statistics and true stories.

Interval colorectal cancers (CRCs) may account for approximately one half of all CRCs identified during IBD surveillance. The etiology of interval CRCs is multifactorial, with procedural factors likely to play a major role. Molecular events promoted by inflamed mucosa may augment the cancer risk and perhaps explain some interval CRCs.

Importance of nonpolypoid (flat and depressed) colorectal neoplasms in screening for CRC in patients with IBD.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease colitis have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with the general population. Colonoscopic surveillance remains challenging because the cancer precursor (dysplasia) can have a varied and subtle endoscopic appearance. Although historically the dysplasia was often considered endoscopically invisible, today with advanced endoscopic understanding, technique, and imaging, it is almost always visible.