Mobile health technology in quality assessment of pediatric ileocolonoscopy: Results of the SIGENP national program

Background and study aims Currently, there is no formal quality assessment of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy. We innovatively used mobile health (mHealth) technology to determine the quality of pediatric ileocolonoscopy (IC) in Italy. Methods Between April 2019 and March 2021, we prospectively collected data (demographics, procedure information, pre/intra/post-procedure indicators, patient satisfaction questionnaires) from the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition using the ENDO-PED mobile app. Results Of 3410 registered procedures, 827 ICs were analyzed. Mean patient age was 11.1 +/- 4.7 years. The most frequent indication was IBD follow-up or diagnosis (57.9%). Therapeutic ICs accounted for 11%, with polypectomy being the most common procedure. Among pre-procedure indicators, waiting time < 30 days was reported in 70.7%, informed consent was signed in 99.8% of cases, and 90.8% of patients completed > 90% of bowel preparation. In terms of intra-procedure indicators, deep sedation was the most commonly used method (77.8%). A high level of bowel cleansing was achieved in 87.4% of patients, with a terminal ileal (TI) intubation rate of 91.6%. Mean IC time with and without TI intubation was 24.2 +/- 15.5 and 22.6 +/- 15.6 minutes, respectively ( P =0.2). Regarding post-procedure indicators, late complications occurred in three children (0.4%), and a final report was issued in 96% of cases, with 67.2% being completed after more than 15 days. Conclusions mHealth was effective in assessing the quality of pediatric endoscopy. Levels of bowel preparation, sedation, TI intubation rate, and safety were adequate in Italy, whereas waiting time and post-procedure communication seemed to be the most critical areas of concern.