The Vlaams Ziekenhuisnetwerk (VZN) has officially started a new multidisciplinary working group dedicated to endoscopy. The aim of this initiative is straightforward and ambitious: to systematically monitor, benchmark, and improve quality indicators for endoscopic procedures, with an initial focus on colonoscopy.
Quality indicators in endoscopy—such as report completeness, documentation of key findings, and procedure-related KPIs—are widely recognized as essential for high-quality patient care. Yet in daily clinical practice, reporting quality and consistency still vary substantially between hospitals and clinicians. This working group wants to move beyond anecdote and assumption, and instead build a solid, data-driven understanding of the current situation in Flanders.
Phase 1: Establishing the Baseline
In the first stage of the project, the working group will assess the current state of colonoscopy reporting quality in Flanders. This will be done through a retrospective analysis of colonoscopy reports from five Flemish hospitals. The focus will be on completeness, structure, and the presence of established quality indicators, providing an objective baseline of how well reports currently meet accepted standards.
Phase 2: Introducing ScopeWatch
In a second phase, these same hospitals will introduce ScopeWatch into their endoscopy workflow. ScopeWatch supports real-time, structured reporting during the procedure itself, with the goal of reducing missing information and improving uniformity without increasing the administrative burden on clinicians.
The hospitals will use the system for a defined evaluation period in routine clinical practice.
Phase 3: Measuring Impact
After this implementation phase, the initial analysis will be repeated. By comparing report completeness and related KPIs before and after the introduction of ScopeWatch, the working group aims to objectively determine whether structured, real-time support leads to measurable improvements in reporting quality.
A First Step, Not the End Point
While colonoscopy is the first application, the broader ambition of the VZN endoscopy working group is to create a scalable framework that can later be extended to other endoscopic procedures. This initiative represents a concrete step toward more transparent quality monitoring, shared learning between hospitals, and continuous improvement driven by real-world data rather than assumptions.
More updates will follow as the project progresses.