One of the many benefits of living in America is that we have so many choices. Our grocery stores, shopping malls and websites have multitudes of options. While this probably seems to be an advantage, an overabundance of choices can actually be burdensome.
You may feel the same way about choosing a qualified doctor to perform your colonoscopy. With so many specialists to choose from in your local area, how can you narrow down the candidates into a manageable number? And what if you mistakenly eliminate the best doctor because you used the wrong criteria?
When it comes to finding a gastroenterologist with expertise and precision, the process is quite straightforward. One important question will help you make your decision: “What is your adenoma detection rate?”
Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is the widely accepted national benchmark to assess a doctor’s quality for screening colonoscopies. A doctor’s ability to identify and remove precancerous polyps during a colonoscopy is converted to a number, so the more proficient the doctor’s polyp detection rate is, the higher his or her ADR will be.
To read more about adenoma detection rate and how this number equates to quality procedures, visit our Adenoma Detection Rate page. If you are at average risk for colon cancer, you should only have to schedule a colonoscopy every ten years. A whole decade’s worth of trust and peace of mind is riding on that single examination, so you want it to be of the highest quality. The first preparation for a thorough colonoscopy is not the Gatorade prep. It’s the preparation that you will do to select the best doctor to perform your colonoscopy!