Colorectal cancer screening program using FIT: quality of colonoscopy varies according to hospital type.

Background and study aims To compare the quality of colonoscopy in a population-based coordinated program of colorectal cancer screening according to type of hospital (academic or non-academic). Patients and methods Consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy after positive FIT (>= 20 ug Hb/g feces) between January 2009 and September 2016 were prospectively included at five academic and seven non-academic public hospitals. Screening colonoscopy quality indicators considered were adenoma detection rate, cecal intubation rate, complications and bowel preparation quality. Results A total of 48,759 patients underwent colonoscopy, 34,616 (80%) in academic hospitals and 14,143 in non-academic hospitals. Among these cases, 19,942 (37.1%) advanced adenomas and 2,607 (5.3%) colorectal cancers (CRCs) were detected, representing a total of 22,549 (46.2%) cases of advanced neoplasia. The adenoma detection rate was 64%, 63.1% in academic hospitals and 66.4% in non-academic hospitals (P < 0.001). Rates of advanced adenoma detection, cecal intubation and adequate colonic preparation were 45.8%, 96.2% and 88.3%, respectively, and in all cases were lower (implying worse quality care) in academic hospitals (45.3% vs 48.7%; odds ratio [OR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84 -0.91; 95.9% vs 97 %; OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.38 -0.69; and 86.4% vs 93 %; OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.45 -0.5; respectively; P < 0.001 in all cases). In 13 patients, all in the academic hospital group, CRC was diagnosed after colonoscopy (0.26 cases x 1000 colonoscopies). Rates of CRC treated by endoscopy were similar in both types of hospital (30 %). The rate of severe complication was 1.2% (602 patients), with no significant differences by hospital type: bleeding occurred in 1/147 colonoscopies and perforation in 1/329. One patient died within 30 days after screening colonoscopy. Conclusions The quality of colonoscopy was better in non-academic hospitals. The rate of detection of advanced neoplasia was higher in non-academic hospitals and correlated with the rate of post-colonoscopy CRC.