After assessing the differ-
ences in patient satisfaction,
comfort, recovery room
times and the financial ben-
efit, the clear choice was to
make CO2 insufflation a
permanent part of our
screenings. We switched to
the method after the trial
and have been using it con-
sistently ever since. Patients
who previously underwent
a colonoscopy at our facility
before the trial now comment on how much easier and more comfort-
able the "new procedure" is compared with their last one. Although
patient satisfaction scores related to discomfort were already high
before CO2 use, the scores jumped after we implemented the new insuf-
flation method.
Some of our physicians were unsure of how the addition of CO2
would impact case efficiency, but using it has become second nature
now. Some physicians now stop in the middle of a procedure if a tank
runs dry and wait for it to be replaced instead of switching to air
insufflation because they know how much CO2 benefits their patients.
Added improvements
We've also implemented a few other practices that have improved
patient satisfaction and boosted the efficiency of our facility. Initially,
when we ran the first trial testing CO2 insufflation, we were using a
standard care model for our endoscopy center that included having an
admission nurse, procedure nurse and recovery nurse care for
A P R I L 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 4 5
• READY TO GO Effective cleaning and high-level disinfection ensures
endoscope availability keeps pace with a busy day of cases.
