Endoscopy Regional Service

An endoscopy is a non-surgical procedure used for diagnostic purposes to examine a person's digestive tract. There are approximately 30,000 scopes done annually in the Winnipeg region. Most endoscopes are performed in an operating room or procedure room at one of the six city hospitals. Scopes are performed by an endoscopist, who can be a surgeon or a gastroenterologist.

Improvement Initiatives

Since 2008 a committee has been working on city wide endoscopy regional service initiatives that:

• increase access to endoscopic services
• improve communication with patients, referring providers, and between specialists
• provide data for evaluation of service delivery standards

These projects involve cooperation between the Surgery and Medicine programs, 6 hospitals, CancerCare Manitoba, and Manitoba Health. The committee has also reviewed similar initiatives across the country.