High concordance between trained nurses and gastroenterologists in evaluating recordings of small bowel video capsule endoscopy (VCE).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: . The video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is an accurate and validated tool to investigate the entire small bowel mucosa, but VCE recordings interpretation by the gastroenterologist is time-consuming. A pre-reading of VCE recordings by an expert nurse could be accurate and cost saving. We assessed the concordance between nurses and gastroenterologists in detecting lesions on VCE examinations. METHODS: This was a prospective study enrolling consecutive patients who had undergone VCE in clinical practice. Two trained nurses and two expert gastroenterologists participated in the study. At VCE pre-reading the nurses selected any abnormalities, saved them as "thumbnails" and classified the detected lesions as a vascular abnormality, ulcerative lesion, polyp, tumor mass, and unclassified lesion. Then, the gastroenterologist evaluated and interpreted the selected lesions and, successively, reviewed the entire video for potential missed lesions. The time for VCE evaluation was recorded. RESULTS: A total of 95 VCE procedures performed on consecutive patients (M/F: 47/48; mean age: 63 +/- 12 years, range: 27-86 years) were evaluated. Overall, the nurses detected at least one lesion in 54 (56.8%) patients. There was total agreement between nurses and gastroenterologists, no missing lesions being discovered at a second look of the entire VCE recording by the physician. The pre-reading procedure by nurse allowed a time reduction of medical evaluation from 49 (33-69) to 10 (8-16) minutes (difference: -79.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that trained nurses can accurately identify and select relevant lesions in thumbnails that subsequently were faster reviewed by the gastroenterologist for a final diagnosis. This could significantly reduce the cost of VCE procedure.

Small bowel capsule endoscopy: May we delegate it to nurses?

AIM: Small bowel capsule endoscopy (CE) is a non-invasive and validated technique allowing the visualization of the small intestine mucosa. It generated more than 40,000 images per examination and induced a long median time of medical reading that may exceed 1 hour. In a transfer of skills' program, the CE reading might be transferred to nurses. We herein evaluate and present a feasibility study of the CE to nurses. METHODS: Nurses experienced in endoscopy were trained for small bowel CE reading, selection and interpretation of pathological images. Two strategies were experienced: a partial delegation to nurses, restricted to the selection of picture and an interpretation of the selected pictures by experts in CE (strategy A) or a total delegation including the selection of pictures, their interpretation, and the realization of a report (strategy B). Nurses were volunteers to participate to the study. Strategies were compared to the reference procedure (control) and a blinded analysis of the CE by experts was performed. Selection of pictures and their interpretation were timely evaluated in all strategies. The stomach and small intestine transit times and the reading time were recorded. The accuracy of the whole CE interpretation was compared. Experts reviewed all discordant interpretations. RESULTS: The extent of transit time in the stomach and the small intestine, and the identification of a normal endoscopic examination were not statistically different between strategy A and control (P=0.71). The accuracy of reports from strategy A and control was 95% (P=0.9). In one case, a nurse has not selected the pathological image, corresponding to a duodenal ulcer. The median medical time for reading was significantly shorter in strategy A than in control (9.2min [range: 4-20] vs 34.0min [range: 10-60]; P<0.01). The accuracy of reports performed by nurses in strategy B was 80% (P=0.11). In 4 cases, the medical interpretation in strategy B was discordant. The discrepancy was due to a lack of pathological images' selection of the selected pictures for the final report (n=1) and a lack of interpretation (n=3). The median time for analysis was not significantly different between strategy B and control (34.7 [range: 10-75] versus 34.0min [range: 15-60]; P=0.53). CONCLUSION: In small bowel CE, a pre-selection of pathological images by a trained nurse could be integrated in a transfer of skills' program and appeared feasible. The gain of time for the gastroenterologists is significant and reduced the medical time for reading from 34 to 9minutes per examination. Meantime, an overall delegation of small bowel CE to nurses suffered for a lack of efficacy. Our study paved the way for a nurse' training program in the pre-selection and identification of CE images.

The nurse endoscopist: moving ahead with time.

The field of nursing has rapidly evolved over the last few decades. In the United Kingdom, nurse endoscopists are widely accepted and play an important role in the structure of gastroenterology services. Capsule endoscopy is a relatively new technique to image the small bowel and requires a skill set based on observation, recognition, and interpretation of significant findings from computer images. The reading of the capsule video, however, is time consuming. This article discusses the evolving role of nurses within the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy with specific reference to small bowel endoscopy. We also discuss the potential challenges of the role of the nurse endoscopist and insights into what the future may hold.

A resource-efficient tool for training novices in wireless capsule endoscopy.

Nurses often function as capsule endoscopy "pre-readers" to save physicians' time and potentially increase diagnostic yield. Training pre-readers is time consuming, not standardized, and may not be feasible during regular business hours. A way to evaluate the progress and accuracy of pre-readers is needed to ensure competency. The aim of this study was to introduce a feedback and progress assessment tool for training novice capsule endoscopy pre-readers. We created a 1-page form with listings of potential findings for each segment of the examination. Findings could be circled or written in. The trainee reviewed capsule studies and filled out the form on each of 220 patients. The physician reviewers subsequently critiqued the data forms, providing feedback regarding missed lesions, overcalls, and overall agreement. Our trainee achieved consistent agreement with the physician reviewers, after reading 80 studies. In conclusion, a simple, 1-page standardized data sheet can be used to facilitate training of novice capsule pre-readers without significant time commitment from the supervising physician. Future studies may validate this resource-efficient instrument as a training and assessment tool for nurses, physicians, and other practitioners learning capsule endoscopy.

Analysis of small-bowel capsule endoscopy reading by using Quickview mode: training assistants for reading may produce a high diagnostic yield and save time for physicians.

GOAL: The aim was to investigate the clinical utility of RAPID Access 6.5 Quickview software and to evaluate whether preview of the capsule endoscopy video by a trained nurse could detect significant lesions accurately compared with endoscopists. BACKGROUND: As reading capsule endoscopy is time consuming, one possible cost-effective strategy could be the use of trained nonphysicians or newly available software to preread and identify potentially important capsule images. STUDY: The 100 capsule images of a variety of significant lesions from 87 patients were investigated. The minimum percentages for settings of sensitivity that could pick up the selected images and the detection rate for significant lesions by a well-trained nurse, two endoscopists with limited experience in reading, and one well-trained physician were examined. RESULTS: The frequency of the selected lesions picked up by Quickview mode using percentages for sensitivity settings of 5%, 15%, 25%, and 35% were 61%, 74%, 93%, and 98%, respectively. The percentages for sensitivity significantly correlated (r=0.78, P<0.001) with the reading time. The detection rate by the nurse or the well-trained physician was significantly higher than that by the physician with limited capsule experience (87% and 84.1% vs. 62.7%; P<0.01). The clinical use of Quickview at 25% did not significantly improve the detection rate. CONCLUSIONS: Quickview mode can reduce reading time but has an unacceptably miss rate for potentially important lesions. Use of a trained nonphysician assistant can reduce physician's time and improve diagnostic yield.

A study comparing an endoscopy nurse and an endoscopy physician in capsule endoscopy interpretation.

OBJECTIVE: Complete review of wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) recordings by a physician is time-consuming and laborious and may be perceived as a limitation to perform WCE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a nurse in interpreting WCE. METHODS: A total of 102 WCE videos were evaluated by a single gastroenterologist and a nurse experienced as an assistant in diagnostic and interventional endoscopy and trained in WCE. After independently reviewing WCE videos, the two readers discussed their findings and came to a consensus. RESULTS: The mean capsule reading time was significantly longer for the nurse compared with the gastroenterologist (117.3+/-24.8 vs. 63.8+/-8.5 min, P<0.001). No statistical differences were observed regarding the correct recognition of first gastric, duodenal and caecal images between the two readers. For the gastroenterologist, both sensitivity and specificity in detecting abnormal findings were 100% except for angiodysplasia [sensitivity 88.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 70-97.4]. For the nurse, the lowest sensitivity rates were in detecting polyps (70%, 95% CI: 34.9-92.3) and angiodysplasias (92.3%, 95% CI: 74.8-98.9). The interobserver agreement as determined by Cohen's κ coefficient was excellent except for polyps (k=0.71, 95% CI: 0.46-0.96). CONCLUSION: A trained nurse is highly accurate in detecting abnormal findings and interpreting WCE recordings. Physician's role could be limited to consider and confirm thumbnails created by a nurse.

Capsule endoscopy interpretation by an endoscopy nurse - a comparative trial.

BACKGROUND: Capsule endoscopy is a common, pain-free diagnostic procedure for the small bowel. However, interpretation of the whole video recording is a time-consuming and costly procedure that can take up to 2 hours. The aim of the present study is two-fold: first to study the accuracy of capsule endoscopy analysis between a trained endoscopy nurse and a physician and secondly to determine if pre-evaluation by nursing staff might be time-effective for capsule reading. This study is especially important given the increasing financial pressure on current health-care systems. METHODS: A long-standing experienced endoscopy nurse, who was trained to read capsule endoscopy, and a physician, both blinded to the patient diagnosis and the other clinical findings reviewed 48 consecutive capsule endoscopy videos. The analyses of both the nurse and the physician were re-evaluated by an independent doctor regarding the agreement of the marked findings. RESULTS: Total time to read capsule endoscopy was significantly longer for the nurse's interpretation (63 +/- 26 min) as compared to the physician's interpretation (54 +/- 18 min, p < 0.01). The endoscopy nurse marked 236 thumbnails, whereas the doctor only marked 132 thumbnails. The nurse overlooked 4 of 64 relevant lesions (6 %), which had been detected by the physician. These overlooked lesions were not single important lesions, they were overlooked only in patients with multiple angiectasias of the small intestine, and thus the misdiagnosis was without clinical relevance. The physician overlooked 6 of 68 lesions detected by the nurse (9 %), also in patients with multiple angiodysplastic lesions and therefore without clinical relevance. On post-hoc analysis of the capsule video recordings the time needed by the physician to interpret the thumbnails marked by the nurse was 10 +/- 12 min. While there was no difference with respect to the estimated gastric emptying time (nurse 27 +/- 13 min vs. physician 28 +/- 14 min, n. s.), the estimated time of capsule passage through the ileocaecal valve was longer when interpreted by the endoscopy nurse (nurse 347 +/- 89 min vs. physician 326 +/- 74 min, n. s.). Nevertheless, the total cost for capsule pre-evaluation by the nurse was lower (13.23 euro vs. physician 17.82 euro). CONCLUSION: The endoscopy nurse detected 94 % of the significant lesions seen by the physician and no clinically relevant findings were overlooked. A pre-evaluation of the capsule video by trained staff is an accurate method and might be time effective.

Capsule endoscopy: is there a role for nurses as physician extenders?

Capsule endoscopy is a novel technique for examining the small bowel; however, data interpretation is time consuming and requires expertise. This study aimed to compare the interpretation of capsule endoscopy between an experienced gastroenterologist and a nurse. A total of 50 consecutive videos were viewed independently by a nurse and a physician, both blinded to the referral indications. The nurse had no prior experience with capsule endoscopy. Possible pathology was graded in a pre-agreed standardized manner, with findings described as "relevant," "uncertain," or "irrelevant." Another gastroenterologist, who had knowledge of all the cases including follow-up data and clinical outcomes, independently arbitrated. Findings showed no difference in the number of relevant or uncertain pathologies identified. The nurse reader was more likely to record irrelevant findings (4.7 vs. 2.0 lesions; p < .01) and required more time to read the videos than the physician (mean = 73 vs. 58 min; p < .01). This study shows that a nurse capsule endoscopy reader is as capable as an experienced physician in identifying small bowel mucosal abnormalities on capsule endoscopy. Capsule endoscopy is an area in which nurses could develop as physician extenders.