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. 2018 Jul;9(3):200-207.
doi: 10.1136/flgastro-2017-100848. Epub 2017 Sep 23.

Trends in UK endoscopy training in the BSG trainees' national survey and strategic planning for the future

Sujata Biswas  1 , Laith Alrubaiy  2 , Louise China  3 ; British Society of Gastroenterology Trainees’ Section; Melanie Lockett  4 , Antony Ellis  1 , Neil Hawkes  5
Affiliations

Trends in UK endoscopy training in the BSG trainees' national survey and strategic planning for the future

Sujata Biswas et al. Frontline Gastroenterol. 2018 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Improvements in the structure of endoscopy training programmes resulting in certification from the Joint Advisory Group in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy have been acknowledged to improve training experience and contribute to enhanced colonoscopy performance.

Objectives: The 2016 British Society of Gastroenterology trainees' survey of endoscopy training explored the delivery of endoscopy training - access to lists; level of supervision and trainee's progression through diagnostic, core therapy and subspecialty training. In addition, the barriers to endoscopy training progress and utility of training tools were examined.

Methods: A web-based survey (Survey Monkey) was sent to all higher specialty gastroenterology trainees.

Results: There were some improvements in relation to earlier surveys; 85% of trainees were satisfied with the level of supervision of their training. But there were ongoing problems; 12.5% of trainees had no access to a regular training list, and 53% of final year trainees had yet to achieve full certification in colonoscopy. 9% of final year trainees did not feel confident in endoscopic management of upper GI bleeds.

Conclusions: The survey findings provide a challenge to those agencies tasked with supporting endoscopy training in the UK. Acknowledging the findings of the survey, the paper provides a strategic response with reference to increased service pressures, reduced overall training time in specialty training programmes and the requirement to support general medical and surgical on-call commitments. It describes the steps required to improve training on the ground: delivering additional training tools and learning resources, and introducing certification standards for therapeutic modalities in parallel with goals for improving the quality of endoscopy in the UK.

Keywords: endoscopic procedures; endoscopy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Survey respondents’ characteristics by training grade and deanery.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship and roles of national, regional and local training organisation that contributes to the delivery of an effective training pathway. JAG, Joint Advisory Group in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A pathway perspective of endoscopy training: timing of individual training pathways for specialist gastrointestinal (GI) trainees.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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