Calculating an Adenoma Detection Rate (ADR) Properly

Why Organizations, Patients and Physicians All Benefit from Accurate Adenoma Detection Rates

What is an Adenoma Detection Rate?

Adenoma detection rate, or ADR, is a quality measure for endoscopy facilities and professionals. ADR is defined as “the rate at which a physician finds one or more precancerous polyps during a normal screening colonoscopy procedure for patients over 50 years old.” Professional societies, including the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), have determined the benchmark rate should be at least 25% in men and 15% in women.

For any site that performs gastrointestinal (GI) procedures, determining endoscopy ADRs and understanding their importance is crucial. Physicians with the best ADRs are most successful in detecting precancerous adenomas in the colon and helping patients avoid colorectal cancer. In fact, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, for every 1% increase in a physician’s ADR, a person’s risk of developing colon cancer over the next year decreases by 3%. Risk of death decreases by 5%.

Who is impacted by successful ADR calculation?

The stakeholders of calculating accurate ADRs span from each level of patient care.

  • Physicians: Physicians need to know their exact, current ADR to benchmark themselves against other physicians and the national rate. When patients search for reputable GI physicians, they may look for a physician with an ADR closer to the national average.
  • Patients: Patients “in the know” understand that the level of care they receive during a normal screening colonoscopy from a physician with a high ADR is more likely to meet and exceed care provided by physicians with low ADRs. It’s essential that patients receive the most thorough screening procedure to detect the presence of precancerous polyps in the colon.
  • Facilities: Lastly, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) benefit financially from the accurate calculation of physicians’ ADRs. By reporting strong ADRs at their facilities, sites have the ability to benchmark success against other competitors.

Manual calculation versus automated calculation

Manually calculating ADRs is not the most precise way of understanding successful normal screening colonoscopies. Due to human error and poor documentation in physicians’ or administrative staff’s notebooks, incorrectly identifying ADRs can occur and hurt your site. Poor ADRs, even if inaccurate, can affect patient satisfaction and a physician’s perceived procedure quality.

Automated calculation and reporting exist to track and improve ADRs across facilities. Automatically determining these rates keeps sites up to date and physicians engaged with the success of their procedures. Moreover, patients are more comfortable choosing a facility that takes pride in ensuring their calculations are accurate and meeting industry standards.

For more information on automating adenoma detection rate (ADR) calculations, explore Provation’s Automated ADR.