gms | German Medical Science

Background and Purpose: Endoscopic examinations have become a commonly used tool in gastroenterology. One of the significant factors limiting their use is the patient’s discomfort, which decreases the acceptance of the examination. In order to limit the discomfort limiting the tolerance of endoscopic examinations, attempts should be taken to carry out studies aimed at the evaluation of the patients’ satisfaction.

This work aims at the determination of the level of the patients’ satisfaction with the endoscopic examinations of both the upper and the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Methods: Our research tool was the survey questionnaire which we authored.

Research Focus: The study covered two groups of patients. The first one included 109 persons who underwent colonoscopy, and the second one 106 patients, who underwent gastroscopy. Research was carried out in endoscopy laboratories in northern Poland and diagnostic survey method was used.

Results: Our analysis showed that the patients with higher level of education statistically significantly more frequently displayed a higher level of information concerning steps to be taken before (H(3) = 7.74, p = 0.052) and after (H(3) = 8.98; p < 0.05) colonoscopy. The patients who underwent gastroscopy and colonoscopy under intravenous general anaesthesia felt less discomfort than the patients who were administered local anaesthesia only or local anaesthesia and premedication.

Conclusions: Special attention should be paid to the appropriate preparation of the patient to endoscopic examinations through the introduction of uniform educational standards. It is also worth considering offering the patients, as a standard, a choice of the type of anaesthesia.