Endoscopy is central to the diagnosis and treatment of a range of different gastrointestinal diseases, including cancer. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic endoscopy services were temporarily suspended, but from the 1st May 2020 procedures resumed, with additional protective measures in place. It quickly became evident that many patients were not willing to undergo an endoscopic procedure and the levels of endoscopy being performed still remain significantly lower than pre-COVID-19 levels.
The ICE study will help us to identify what could be done to encourage and reassure patients to attend, as well as make the endoscopy experience better for patients during the current, and future, phases of the pandemic. We will interview people who attended, as well as those who declined, a range of endoscopic procedures (i.e. colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, ERCP and OGD) since May 2020, from 6 endoscopy units across England.
The ICE Study is a sub-study of COLO-COHORT.
- Dr Christina Dobson
- Professor Linda Sharp
- Professor Colin Rees
- South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- Guts UK Parabola Foundation grant
- South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle-upon-Tyne NHS Foundation Trust
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
- King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospital’s Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust
For any other queries about The ICE Study please contact [email protected]
