In Austria, screening colonoscopy has been part of the health examination since 2005 and is recommended for women and men from the age of 50. In recent years, numerous studies have increasingly emphasized the importance of high-quality screening (1-5). The recently published EU guidelines also emphasize that infrequently performed, high-quality screening colonoscopy is of greater benefit to the patient than frequently performed endoscopy with a lower quality standard.
As there are no programs for recording and monitoring quality standards in VU colonoscopy in Austria so far, the "Quality Certificate for Colorectal Cancer Screening" was launched in 2007 by the Austrian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology together with the Main Association of Austrian Social Insurance Institutions and the Austrian Cancer Aid. Participation is on a voluntary basis. Currently, about half of all endoscopy centers in Austria (hospitals, surgeries and outpatient clinics) participate in the project. Further information can be found on our " homepage.
Due to its great success, the two-year certificate, which was launched as a pilot study, has already been extended for the fifth time and includes a database with > 200,000 screening colonoscopies.
Aim of the research group:
Participant support, introduction of new quality criteria for colorectal cancer screening, review of quality criteria, development of guidelines (currently a polypectomy and mucosectomy guideline is being developed by ESGE), regular feedback to participants both on their own examination quality and in comparison to other participants (nationwide and Austria-wide), communication of latest publications/guidelines in the field of (screening) colonoscopy.