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U.S. colonoscopists tend to overuse colonoscopy for screening and surveillance — a trend pronounced in nongastroenterologist physicians, including surgeons and family physicians, and in certain regions such as the Northeast. To evaluate physician adherence to recommended colonoscopy intervals in a setting of low or no financial incentives, researchers examined data from colonoscopies performed in 2008 by 149 physicians in 25 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. Results were as follows:
Physician nonadherence to interval recommendations was 36% overall, ranging from 3% to 80% across facilities.
In nonadherent cases, 95% of recommended intervals were too short.
The frequency of nonadherence varied by baseline colonoscopy finding: 28% for no…