Who should be doing gastrointestinal endoscopy

THE QUESTION of who should be doing gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a problem that confronts hospital committees charged with granting endoscopic privileges. 1 The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals requires that individual medical staffs set criteria for privileges and have a process for delineation of these privileges. The Federation of Digestive Disease Societies has approved Guidelines for Training in Endoscopy 2 and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has prepared Guidelines for Standards of Practice of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy . 3 These two documents may guide hospital committees and require further interpretation in that event. Training Guidelines The Guidelines for Training apply to residency-fellowship programs and, when adhered to, provide for physicians who are skillful in the ability both to perform endoscopy and to relate the procedures to the care of the patient. Some gastroenterologists as well as many general and colorectal surgeons have not had their training in programs that