GESA has made publicly available an interactive map and list of recertified colonoscopists around the country to encourage more clinicians to register for the recertification program.
The initiative also assists GPs in referring to local proceduralists who have demonstrated they meet the highest standards.
More than 100 colonoscopists have achieved recertification since the program was introduced in 2016.
Chairman of the GESA Colonoscopy Recertification Program Steering Committee Dr Mark Schoeman told the limbic there was no need to name and shame people not yet on the list.
“It’s early days; the program is in its infancy and whilst we have a number of people on the list, we have 450 registered on the program. Just because they are not on the list does not mean they are not competent.”
The program requires practitioners to log 150 procedures with specified outcome measures and at least 50 have to be performed in the last 12 months to demonstrate currency.
“You can sign up 150 cases from last year but we do require they are consecutive cases – you can’t cherry pick your best ones,” Dr Schoeman said.
He added that the minimum criteria of 150 colonoscopies over the three-year cycle of the program equated to only one procedure per week.
“Most colonoscopists do many more than that. It’s to make it easier for everybody to participate. What we want is everybody in; not just the high fliers. We want to include everybody.”
However the recertification was not just a rubber stamp.
“The volunteers on the committee work hard to adjudicate and review every single submission. It’s taken very seriously. What we want to do is lift the performance of people who are underperforming or encourage them to stop doing it.”
Dr Schoeman said pulling together the necessary evidence for recertification was made easier with electronic databases of the procedures. Where they weren’t available, doctors should ask for them.
“This gives you ammunition to ask your hospital to get with the program and get these systems in place so you can document your procedures and provide the quality data that is required to participate.”
While recertification was not yet mandatory, Dr Schoeman said he expected health care providers and insurers would eventually insist all their clinicians were recertified as competent.
Enrolling in the program is currently free of charge.