Striving for quality improvement: can artificial intelligence help?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is of keen interest for global health development as potential support for current human shortcomings. Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is an excellent substrate for AI, since it holds the genuine potential to improve quality in GI endoscopy and overall patient care by improving detection and diagnosis guiding the endoscopists in performing endoscopy to the highest quality standards. The possibility of large data acquisitioning to refine algorithms makes implementation of AI into daily practice a potential reality. With the start of a new era adopting deep learning, large amounts of data can easily be processed, resulting in better diagnostic performances. In the upper gastrointestinal tract, research currently focusses on the detection and characterization of neoplasia, including Barrett's, squamous cell and gastric carcinoma, with an increasing amount of AI studies demonstrating the potential and benefit of AI-augmented endoscopy. Deep learning applied to small bowel video capsule endoscopy also appears to enhance pathology detection and reduce capsule reading time. In the colon, multiple prospective trials including five randomized trials, showed a consistent improvement in polyp and adenoma detection rates, one of the main quality indicators in endoscopy. There are however potential additional roles for AI to assist in quality improvement of endoscopic procedures, training and therapeutic decision making. Further large-scale, multicenter validation trials are required before AI-augmented diagnostic gastrointestinal endoscopy can be integrated into our routine clinical practice.

Personal protection and delivery of rhinologic and endoscopic skull base procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak

On March 11th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 pandemic, with subsequent profound impact on the entire health care system. During the COVID-19 outbreak, activities in the rhinology outpatient clinic and operation rooms are limited to emergency care only. Health care practitioners are faced with the need to perform rhinological and skull base emergency procedures in patients with a positive or unknown COVID-19 status. This article aims to provide recommendations and relevant information for rhinologists, based on the limited amount of (anecdotal) data, to guarantee high-quality patient care and adequate levels of infection prevention in the rhinology clinic.

BSGIE survey on COVID-19 and gastrointestinal endoscopy in Belgium : results and recommendations

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

With the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic declining, activities in the gastrointestinal clinic are being recommenced after a period of stringent measures. Since a second COVID-19 wave is not entirely ruled out health care professionals might remain faced with the need to perform endoscopic procedures in patients with a confirmed positive or unknown COVID-19 status. With this report we aim to provide a practical relevant overview of preparation and protective measures for gastroenterologists based on the currently available guidelines and our local experience and results of a national Belgian survey, to guarantee a fast recall of an adequate infection prevention if COVID-19 reoccurs.

METHODS

From the 23rd of March 2020 and the 13th of May 2020 we performed a Pubmed, Embase and Medline search, resulting in 37 papers on COVID-19 and endoscopy. Additionally, we combined these data with data acquired from the national BSGIE survey amongst Belgian gastroenterologists.

RESULTS

Based on 72 completed surveys in both university and non-university hospitals, the results show (1) a dramatic (<20%) or substantial (<50%) decrease of normal daily endoscopy in 74% and 22% of the units respectively, (2) a difference in screening and protective measures between university and non-university hospitals. These findings were subsequently compared with the current guidelines.

CONCLUSION

Based on new data from the BSGIE survey and current guidelines we tried to realistically represent the current COVID-19 trends in protective measures, screening and indications for endoscopy and to provide a practical overview as preparation for a possible second wave.