ESGE Issues Comprehensive Training Curriculum on Optical Diagnosis

The extent to which optical diagnosis is used in routine endoscopy in the United States to improve treatment decisions in endoscopy is virtually unknown. 

The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has now issued a curriculum that covers optical diagnosis training in Barrett’s esophagus, squamous cell cancer of the esophagus, early gastric cancer, diminutive colorectal lesions, early colorectal cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The general recommendations are, first, that every endoscopist should have competence in upper and/or lower endoscopy before training in optical diagnosis. Competency can be learned by attending a validated optical diagnosis course, followed by self-learning on a specified minimum number of lesions. If no validated course is available, then training requires attending a nonvalidated, onsite training course, followed by self-learning with a specified minimum number of lesions. Trainees should then achieve competence thresholds by assessing a minimum number of lesions prospectively during real-time endoscopy, and finally, in vivo practice to maintain competence. 

The document lists specific training programs for each clinical area, when available, and recommends the number of lesions to be assessed in vivo in real time to measure and establish initial competence. The recommendations also include a second number of ongoing lesions to be assessed per year to maintain competence.