When the American Cancer Society recommended colonoscopy screenings should start at age 45 instead of age 50 last May, you might have wondered how you were going to accommodate the influx of new patients. Fast forward one year and a global pandemic later, and you're probably wondering how you'll convince reluctant patients to get their screenings done so your case volumes return to the level they were before COVID-19.
Physicians at the Center for Digestive Health & Nutrition in Moon Township, Pa., typically perform approximately 5,000 colonoscopies each year. During the height of the pandemic, when elective procedures were put on hold and only colonoscopies that met the strict definition of emergent were being done, the facility saw an 80% to 90% reduction in their normal screening volume.
"We would run three rooms, three days a week and then two rooms, two days a week," says Frank Kim, MD, a gastroenterology specialist at the center. "During the worst of it, we were scheduling cases on only one morning."
Thankfully, the center's case volumes are nearly back to where they were before the coronavirus outbreak. But the entire patient scheduling and procedural process is far different than it was pre-pandemic. Let's look at everything you're likely to encounter as you get your colonoscopy service line back to a stable, consistent level.
- Convince reluctant patients. Colonoscopy screenings are potentially life-saving procedures, but they're still considered preventative care and ultimately elective. Many patients, especially older individuals with pre-existing conditions, are willing to wait until there's less uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.
Indeed, that's the situation Mohammad A. Al-Haddad, MD, is facing. "We're still seeing a significant number of last-minute cancellations which occur within three days of the procedure," says Dr. Al-Haddad, a gastroenterologist with Indiana University Health in Indianapolis.
