Why Don't GI Docs Follow Surveillance Guidelines?

Previous studies have shown that a substantial proportion of gastroenterologists — and even greater proportions of surgeons and primary care physicians — perform colonoscopy after polypectomy sooner than is recommended in guidelines. Are the gastroenterologists unfamiliar with the guidelines, or do they just ignore them?

To find out, researchers administered a 24-item survey — based on the 2003 multisociety colorectal cancer screening and surveillance guideline — to board-certified gastroenterologists who were preparing for the GI recertification exam in 2004. A total of 116 gastroenterologists completed the survey. Among them, 98% performed colonoscopy, 78% reported familiarity with the 2003 guideline, and 57% said that guidelines were very…