==== Front Ann Saudi MedAnn Saudi MedAnnals of Saudi Medicine0256-49470975-4466King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre 1686186910.5144/0256-4947.2006.224asm-3-224Brief ReportAppropriateness of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy referrals from primary health care Al-Romaih Wafa R. Al-Shehri Ali M. From the Department of Family & Community Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence and reprint requests: Wafa R. Al-Romaih, MD, SBFM, ABFM, Department of Family & Community Medicine King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh 11426 (Mail Code: 2330), Saudi Arabia, wrr_fm@yahoo.comMay-Jun 2006 26 3 224 227 01 1 2006 Copyright © 2006, Annals of Saudi Medicine2006This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. ==== Body Open-access endoscopy is defined as “the provision of a diagnostic endoscopic procedure by direct request of a general practitioner without prior hospital consultation”.1 Although open access is needed to meet the increasing demand for endoscopy service, studies suggest there is a link between such a system and inappropriate use of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), particularly in primary care.2–8 To ensure the appropriateness of EGD, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has developed criteria to promote safe and responsible endoscopic practice.9 In Saudi Arabia, gastrointestinal symptoms are common, with normal endoscopic findings ranging from 23.5% to 29%,10–14 but there is little, if any, application of standard criteria to judge the use of endoscopy. This study examined the appropriateness of EGD referrals from primary health care (PHC) and the association between appropriate use and the presence of significant lesions detected by endoscopy using standard criteria developed by the ASGE. Patients and Methods A retrospective study was performed to assess indications for EGD referrals from primary health care at King Fahad National Guard, King Abdul Aziz Medical City, Riyadh, over a 9-month period (1 February to 30 October 2000). The study population was all patients who were referred to EGD by primary care and family physicians and who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) during the study period. The endoscopy unit is staffed by three experienced consultant endoscopists and provides an unrestricted open-access service to the medical staff of the outpatient department and to general practitioners. Data collected from medical records included sociodemographic characteristics, the type and duration of the clinical symptoms, medication, and endoscopic diagnosis. An independent investigator who was unaware of EGD results, according to the revised 1992 ASGE criteria, assessed the appropriateness of EGD referrals. Endoscopic diagnosis was divided into “clinically relevant” and “not clinically relevant” categories. Clinically relevant was defined as an endoscopic diagnosis that generally and directly impacts therapeutic decisions and prognosis (e.g., cancer, esophagitis, peptic ulcer). To evaluate the association between appropriateness and the presence of clinically relevant endoscopic diagnosis, the yield of endoscopy for appropriate indications was compared with the yield of inappropriate ones and the extent of the association between these two variables was expressed as the odds ratio (OR) of finding a relevant diagnosis in patients with an appropriate indication compared with those with a inappropriate indication. The ability of the ASGE indications to forecast relevant endoscopic diagnosis was evaluated by calculating the likelihood ratio (LR) (positive and negative). The likelihood ratio is the likelihood that a given test result (LR+ for a positive result or LR- for a negative test result) would be expected in a patient with a target disorder, compared with the likelihood that the same result would occur in a patient without the target disorder. The sensitivity, specificity, post-test probability of ASGE criteria was calculated. SPSS (statistical package for social science) and Epi Info 2000 were used for data entry and analysis. Results The 80 patients in this study ranged in age from 15 to 85 years, with a mean age of 38.28 years (SD ±15.07 years). Forty-seven (58.75%) were males. Patients underwent EGD mostly because of dyspepsia (80%), followed by gastroesophageal reflux symptoms (23.8%), while GI bleeding and vomiting represented 2.5% each (Table 1). The indication for EGD was considered appropriate according to ASGE criteria in 72.5% of cases, whereas 27.5% were inappropriate (Table 1). Endoscopy was normal in 11.3% of cases whereas a clinically relevant diagnosis was made in 33.8%. Esophagitis was the most frequent diagnosis in 17.5%, followed by duodenal ulcer in 8.8%, erosive duodenitis in 7.5%, and erosive gastritis in 6.3% (Table 2). The percentage of EGDs that provided clinically relevant diagnoses was 36.2% when the procedure was performed for an appropriate ASGE indication versus 27.3% of inappropriate ASGE indication (OR: 1.5; 95% CI 0.51–4.46) (Table 3). The diagnostic characteristics of ASGE criteria were as follows: sensitivity 78%, specificity 30%, LR+ 1.11, LR− 0.74. Discussion In this study, the criteria of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) was used to determine the appropriateness of referrals from primary care doctors to an endoscopy unit in the hospital and the association of such criteria with relevant endoscopic findings. EGD was considered appropriate in 72.5% of referrals while 27.5% of referrals were inappropriate. This finding is reassuring in terms of appropriateness, as reports in the literature indicate that up to 49% inappropriate use of EDG.2 The ASGE criteria are used as a diagnostic test in our study (positive in case of appropriate ASGE, negative in case of inappropriate ASGE). All the characteristic indices of a diagnostic test were calculated (sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio) and we determined how much this test modified the pretest probability of pathology. The prevalence (pretest probability) of relevant pathologies was 34% of cases and the presence of appropriate indications enhanced the post-test probability of pathology to 36%, whereas the absence of appropriate indications reduced the probability of finding relevant pathology to 27%, which are small changes in post-test probability. Similar results were reported by others.6 The sensitivity of the present criteria suggest to us that the appropriateness criteria be considered as no more than a screening test to identify care that may be inappropriate, and as an initiative tool for decisions about expected procedure outcomes, while its specificity indicates that the diagnostic performance of ASGE criteria is not high. Moreover, appropriateness, based on ASGE criteria, does not replace the clinical judgment of doctors: “Under no circumstances should the care of individual patients be guided solely by the results of the appropriateness method without additional clinical information” 15. Appropriateness criteria are not the only factor for decision making in medicine.16 However, using valid and reliable criteria for referrals reduces cost and enhances effectiveness. In conclusion, this study shows that most EGD referrals from PHC were appropriate according to ASGE criteria. However, ASGE criteria cannot predict or enhance the probability of finding significant endoscopic pathologies. This means that the ASGE criteria are useful as a screening tool for appropriateness rather than as a diagnostic tool. Further study is needed in this field. This study is based on a dissertation by the first author submitted to the Saudi Council for Health Care Specialties as part of postgraduate training in Family Medicine. Table 1 Indications for esophagogastroduodenoscopy in the study population. Number % Dyspepsia 62 77.5 Dyspepsia+anorexia and weight loss 2 2.5 Esophageal reflux symptoms 19 23.8 Upper GI bleeding 2 2.5 Persistent vomiting of unknown origin 2 2.5 Others 1 1.3 Table 2 Endoscopic findings in the study population. Number % Clinically relevant 27 33.8 Erosive gastritis 5 6.3 Erosive duodenitis 6 7.5 Esophagitis 14 17.5 Duodenal ulcer (DU) 7 8.8 Gastric ulcer 1 1.3 Esophageal varices 1 1.3 Not clinically relevant 53 66.3 Nonerosive gastritis 56 70 Hiatal hernia 15 18.8 Normal 9 11.3 Nonerosive duodenitis 5 6.3 Healed DU 1 1.3 * Sum of percentage is higher than 100% because of more than one endoscopic finding in the same patient. Table 3 Relationship between appropriateness of indications and each endoscopic finding. Appropriate No. (%) Inappropriate No. (%) OR (95%CI) Clinically relevant 21 (36.2) 6 (27.3) 1.5 (0.51–4.46) Erosive gastritis 3 (5.2) 2 (9.1) 0.55 (0.09–3.51) Erosive duodenitis 2 (3.4) 4 (18.2) 0.16 (0.03–0.95) Esophagitis 12 (20.7) 2 (9.1) 2.61 (0.53–12.75) Duodenal ulcer (DU) 7 (12.1) 0 0.00 Gastric ulcer 1 (1.7) 0 0.00 Esophageal varices 1 (1.7) 0 0.00 Not clinically relevant 37 (63.8) 16 (72.7) 0.66 (0.19–2.17) Nonerosive gastritis 46 (79.3) 10 (45.5) 4.6 (1.61–13.18) Hiatal hernia 11 (19.0) 4 (18.2) 1.05 (0.29–3.73) Normal 4 (6.9) 5 (22.7) 0.25 (0.06–1.05) Nonerosive duodenitis 4 (6.9) 1 (4.5) 1.56 (0.16–14.74) Healed DU 1 (1.7) 0 0.00 Total 58 (100) 22 (100) * Sum of percentage is higher than 100% because of more than one endoscopic finding in the same patient. ==== Refs References 1 Silcock JG Bramble MG Open access gastroscopy: second survey of current practice in the United Kingdom Gut 1997 40 192 5 9071930 2 Froehlich F Burnand B Pache I Vader JP Fried M Schneider C Overuse of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a country with open-access endoscopy: a prospective study in primary care Gastrointest Endosc 1997 45 13 9 9013164 3 Kahn KL Kosecoff J Chassin MR Solomon DH Brook RH The use and misuse of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy Ann Intern Med 1988 109 664 70 3262326 4 Quine MA Bell GD McCloy RF Devlin HB Hopkins A UGE Audit Committee Appropriate use of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy-a prospective audit Gut 1994 35 1209 14 7959225 5 Minoli G Prada A Gambetta G Formenti A Schalling F Lai L Pera A The ASGE guidelines for the appropriate use of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in an open access system Gastrointest Endosc 1995 42 387 9 8566624 6 Rossi A Bersani G Ricci G DeFabritiis G Pollino V Suzzi A ASGE guidelines for the appropriate use of upper endoscopy: association with endoscopic findings Gastrointest Endosc 2002 56 714 9 12397281 7 Gonvers JJ Burnand B Froehlich F Pache I Thorens J Fried M Appropriateness and diagnostic yield of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in an open-access endoscopy unit Endoscopy 1996 28 661 6 8934082 8 Charles RJ Chak A Cooper GS Wong RC Sivak MV Use of open access in GI endoscopy at an academic medical center Gastrointest Endosc 1999 50 480 5 10502167 9 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Appropriate use of gastrointestinal endoscopy Gastrointest Endosc 2000 52 831 7 10 Laajam MA Al-Mofleh IA Al-Faleh FZ Al-Aska A Jessen K Hussain J Al-Rashed R Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in Saudi Arabia: analysis of 6386 procedures Q J Med 1988 66 21 5 3174921 11 Ayoola EA Al-Rashed RS Al-Mofleh IA Al-Faleh FZ Laajam M Diagnostic yield of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in relation to age and gender: a study of 10112 Saudi patients Hepatogastroenterology 1996 43 409 15 8714235 12 Satti MB Twum-Danso K Al-Freihi HM Ibrahim EM Al-Gindan Y Al-Quorain A Helicobacter pylori-associated upper gastrointestinal disease in Saudi Arabia: a pathologic evaluation of 298 endoscopic biopsies from 201 consecutive patients Am J Gastroenterol 1990 85 527 34 2337055 13 Al-Quorain A Satti MB Al-Hamdan A Al-Gassab G Al-Freihi H Al-Gindan Y Pattern of upper gastrointestinal disease in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia: endoscopic evaluation of 2982 patients Trop Geogr Med 1991 43 203 8 1750116 14 Al-Shehri AM Al-Knawy B Al-Jaber K Use of a simple questionnaire developed by the Ameircan College of gastroenterology to determine prevalence of GERD among a community-based population in Saudi Arabia Saudi J Gastroenterology 2003 9 49 15 Shekelle PG Hahan JK Bernstein SJ Leape L Kamberg CJ Park RE The reproducibility of a method to identify the overuse and underuse of medical procedures N Engl J Med 1998 338 1888 95 9637810 16 Shekelle PG Are appropriateness criteria ready for use in clinical practice? 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