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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2021; 12(04): 190-195
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1741387
Research Article

Impact of Mobile Endoscopy Unit for Rendering Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Services at Two Community Health Centers in Western India

Amit Maydeo
1   Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Shivaji Thakare
1   Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Amol Vadgaonkar
1   Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Gaurav Patil
1   Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Ankit Dalal
1   Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Nagesh Kamat
1   Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Sehajad Vora
1   Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
› Institutsangaben
Funding None.
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Abstract

Background Patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in remote areas do not have access to standard medical care with the issues related to cost of medical care, transportation, health literacy, lack of healthcare insurance—all preventing healthcare access in a timely manner. To overcome this, we designed a mobile endoscopy van with the intent to provide free essential medical services to the rural population.

Methods This is a retrospective study of patients with predominantly upper GI symptoms at two community health centers (each 2 days camp). This is an audit of endoscopy findings in a community set up using a Mobile Endoscopy Unit (MEU). Patients' details were collected in a pre-designed questionnaire. Only those patients with alarm symptoms and suspicion of any pathological state underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in MEU. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics.

Results A total of 724 patients (424 [58.5%] males; mean [SD] age 48.5 [5.2] years) were included. The commonest presenting symptom was heartburn in 377 (52.1%) patients. The median duration of symptoms was 6.5 (range: 2–36) months. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was seen in 16 (6.8%) patients, ulceroproliferative growth was noted in the stomach in 3 (1.3%) patients. Eighteen (7.6%) patients had a positive rapid urease test and received Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. The most commonly prescribed drugs were proton-pump inhibitors in 692 (95.6%) patients. Nine (1.2%) patients had chronic liver disease secondary to alcoholism and were counseled for abstinence. All procedures were safely performed without any immediate adverse events.

Conclusions Community outreach strategies such as the use of mobile endoscopy unit were found to be very useful in the diagnosis of GI symptoms. More research is needed in low-income countries to treat complex pathological states in rural patients.

Keywords

endoscopy - gastroenterology - Helicobacter pylori - community - outcomes

Statement of Ethics

Given the cross-sectional nature of the study, the Institutional Ethics Committee waived the written informed consent. The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki were respected throughout the study. The study protocol had been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee.


Authors' Contributions

NK, SV, and AM: study concept and design. AD, GP, AV, ST, and AM: clinical management of all cases. NK, SV, and ST: data acquisition. NK: prepared the first draft of the manuscript. AD, GP, and AM: critical revision and provided vital inputs. All the authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.




Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
15. Januar 2022

© 2022. Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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