Health care is continually advancing, with new technologies and techniques being developed regularly. This ongoing evolution can pose challenges for healthcare practitioners who must learn and adopt the innovations that arise after they have completed their initial training in order to stay on the cutting edge.
One such breakthrough is in the specialty of gastrointestinal endoscopy, called optical diagnosis. This technique uses specialized light and imaging during an endoscopy to help predict, in real-time, whether a growth or polyp is cancerous or pre-cancerous, eliminating the need for a biopsy.
A recent paper published in Gastroenterology authored by Dr. Samir Grover, Executive Vice-President, Academics here at Scarborough Health Network (SHN), and Drs. Robert Bechara and Michael Scaffidi at Queen’s University, outlines a practical guide for endoscopists starting to learn this optical diagnosis technique. The guide focuses on training strategies and foundational knowledge needed to build proficiency.
What was in scope for the study?
Endoscopy is crucial for diagnosing conditions like colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. This study explored a new technique called “optical diagnosis,” which uses special imaging during endoscopy to get a better real-time look at growths and predict if they are cancerous. This allows endoscopists to decide immediately whether to remove growths, rather than waiting for the results of a sample taken. Since learning new techniques can be challenging, the study focused on finding better ways to train doctors in optical diagnosis, offering practical steps and tools to help them gain skills and confidence.
The study’s insights on teaching optical diagnosis go beyond improving individual doctors’ skills. The framework helps modernize medical education by showing more practical and efficient ways to train healthcare providers in advanced techniques that may emerge in the future.
Impact on care in Scarborough
By improving the training of healthcare professionals, the study offers the potential for faster and more accurate diagnoses and decisions on gastrointestinal conditions, such as gastrointestinal cancers. This is particularly relevant in Scarborough, where enhanced skills in optical diagnosis can significantly improve the detection and care for conditions like early-stage gastric cancers, which may be more prevalent in East Asian demographic groups.
Moreover, by enhancing the capabilities of SHN’s team, patients in Scarborough can receive top-of-the-line care locally, reducing wait times, increasing access to high-quality care, and contributing to a healthier community overall.
Looking ahead
Initiatives like this study, which focus on incorporating advanced techniques into clinical practice, position SHN at the forefront of medical training. Dr. Grover’s team also collaborated with Drs. Catharine Walsh and Kathy Boutis at Sick Kids and the team at ImageSIM to develop “PRIME” – a module to teach optical diagnosis to endoscopists worldwide.
This work aligns with SHN’s expansion in education, including their partnership with the University of Toronto on the new Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health. It exemplifies SHN’s commitment to leadership in postgraduate specialist education, ensuring healthcare professionals are equipped with the skills needed to effectively utilize new technologies for the best possible patient care within the community and beyond.