Home/Quality & safety
Quality & safety
A colonoscopy is only as good as the examination behind it. These are the things we measure, and the reasons they matter.
A high-quality examination finds and removes adenomatous polyps. That is what makes colon cancer screening effective, and it is what drives down cancer rates afterwards. A rushed or incomplete examination can return a clean result and still miss the lesion that mattered.
For that reason we track a set of quality indicators rather than relying on impressions.
What we measure
What we monitor
- Cecal intubation rate, with photographic documentation that the cecum, the far end of the colon, was actually reached. An examination that stops short is an incomplete examination.
- Polyp detection rate, measured per endoscopist. This is the single best available proxy for how carefully someone looks.
- Bowel preparation quality, recorded for every case, because a poor preparation limits what any endoscopist can see.
Who performs your procedure
- Every endoscopist here specialises in gastrointestinal disease.
- All are trained and experienced gastroenterologists performing colonoscopy as part of their regular hospital practice.
- Registered nurses and technical staff hold accepted credentials for their roles.
- The clinic is usually supported by board-certified anaesthetists for sedation.
Infection control
- Endoscopes are cleaned rigorously with enzymatic detergent, then high-level disinfected with a chemical germicide using single-use chemistry.
- A technologically advanced endoscope reprocessing device handles scope cleaning.
- Universal precautions are applied for specimen handling and intravenous insertion.
- A meticulous hand sanitisation policy is in force throughout the clinic.
Equipment
- High-definition video endoscopes, for the best available image resolution. Higher resolution detects polyps at a higher rate.
- Emergency back-up power supply covering all essential equipment.
- Drugs and equipment for resuscitation on site, including a defibrillator.
Patient relations
- Informed consent. Before your appointment is booked you read the consent form, which sets out what to expect and the risks involved. You sign it before the procedure.
- Timely results. You are given your report when you are discharged. Your referring physician receives a copy within 24 hours.
- Feedback. Patients can tell us about their experience through our satisfaction survey, and we use what comes back.
What patients tell us
“Friendly staff, helpful and efficient. Painless and surprisingly pleasant experience. I would recommend VEC to my friends.”
“The positive energy throughout the clinic made me feel welcomed and very comfortable.”
“I have never felt so comfortable. I thank the staff for the care they provided me.”
Comments drawn from the clinic’s patient satisfaction survey.
Further reading
Quality in endoscopy is a well-studied field. If you would like to read the evidence behind the indicators above:
- Quality indicators for colonoscopy and the risk of interval cancer
- High-definition colonoscopy detects colorectal polyps at a higher rate
- Endoscopist specialty is associated with incident colorectal cancer after negative colonoscopy
- Association of colonoscopy and death from colorectal cancer
Ontario’s colon cancer screening guidelines are published by Cancer Care Ontario.
Questions about how we work?
We are happy to talk through any part of the process, before or after a referral is made.