TABLE 3.
Criteria for extraction of Practice Audit in Gastroenterology data for comparison with consensus recommendations
| Consensus conference recommendation | Criteria (Table 2) for extraction of ‘matching’ audits |
|---|---|
| 3) Patients referred with documented iron deficiency anemia should be seen and if indicated, endoscoped within two months | Anemia (12e) AND abnormal bloodwork (14d) |
| 4) Patients referred with one or more positive fecal occult blood tests should be seen and if indicated, endoscoped within two months | Occult blood positive (12d) |
| 5) Patients referred because of a high likelihood of cancer, based on imaging or physical examination should be seen and if indicated, endoscoped within two weeks | Abdominal mass (12a) OR unexpected weight loss (12k) OR abnormal physical exam (14b) OR abnormal radiologic results (14c) AND very concerned about the possibility of neoplastic disease in this patient (18c) |
| 18) Patients referred with poorly controlled reflux symptoms or other dyspepsia symptoms, but no alarm symptoms, should be seen, and if indicated, endoscoped within two months | No alarm symptoms (12m) AND heartburn/reflux despite optimal therapy (13b) |
| 19) Patients referred with dyspepsia and associated alarm symptoms (eg, vomiting, weight loss, gastrointestinal blood loss) should be seen and if indicated, endoscoped within two months | Anemia (12e) OR melena/rectal bleed (12g) OR persistent vomiting (12i) OR unexpected weight loss (12k) AND heartburn/reflux (13a) OR heartburn/reflux despite optimal therapy (13b) OR chest pain (13d) OR epigastric pain (13e) OR dyspepsia (13f) |
| 20) Patients referred with unexplained chronic diarrhea or chronic constipation should be seen and if indicated, endoscoped within two months | Constipation (13j) OR constipation alternating with diarrhea (13k) OR diarrhea (13l) AND one of these as the primary reason for referral of the patient (19) |
| 23) Patients referred with clinical features highly suggestive of significant active inflammatory bowel disease should be seen and if indicated, endoscoped within two weeks | Bloody diarrhea (12f) AND patient history of inflammatory bowel disease (15d) |
Consensus conference recommendations listed are from reference 6