GIE Associate Editor, Dr. Lyndon Hernandez, MD, MPH, highlights this article from the January issue “Trends in EMR for nonmalignant colorectal polyps in the United States” by Jessica X. Yu, MD, MS, et al. 

Using a large health insurance claims database, the authors observed an increase in the performance of EMR for colorectal lesions. However, there appears to be geographic variation, with some states consistently lagging behind others in EMR performance.

We will need to better understand patient factors and practice disincentives that serve as barriers to EMR use. As non-invasive colon cancer screening tests continue to evolve, inevitably so will our referral patterns and the proportion of colonoscopies that will require our appropriate use of EMR.

The accompanying excellent editorial enumerates best practice recommendations for the appropriate use of EMR.

Figure 1. Frequency of colonoscopies and proportions of EMR performed, by year. Frequency of colonoscopies increased from 233,443 in 2011 to 440,981 in 2016 (P = .004). Proportion of EMR increased from 1.62% of colonoscopies in 2011 to 2.48% of colonoscopies in 2015 (P < .001).

Read the article abstract here.

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