CT colonography:Friend or foe of practicing endoscopists

AIM:To investigate the perceived impact of computed tomographic colonography(CTC) on endoscopists' current and future practice.METHODS:A 21-question survey was mailed to 1570 randomly chosen American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy(ASGE) members.Participants reported socio-demographics,colonoscopy volume,percentage of colonoscopies performed for screening,and likelihood of integration of CTC into their practice.RESULTS:A total of 367 ASGE members(23%) returned the questionnaire.Respondents were predominantly male(> 90%) and white(83%) with an average age of 49 years.Most respondents(58%) had no plans to incorporate CTC into daily practice and only 7% had already incorporated CTC into daily practice.Private practice respondents were the least likely to incorporate this modality into their daily practice(P=0.047).Forty-three percent of participants were willing to take courses on CTC reading,particularly those with the highest volume of colonoscopy(P=0.049).Forty percent of participants were unsure of CTC's impact on future colonoscopy volume while 21% and 18% projected a decreased and increased volume,respectively.The estimated impact of CTC volume varied significantly by age(P=0.002).Respondents > 60 years felt that CTC would increase colonoscopy,whereas those < 40 years thought CTC would ultimately decrease colonoscopy.CONCLUSION:Practicing endoscopists are not enthusiastic about the incorporation of CTC into their daily practice and are unsure of its future impact on their practice.