Clinicians
Quality statement 6
A patient’s colonoscopy is performed by a credentialed clinician working within their scope of clinical practice, who meets the requirements of an accepted certification and recertification process. Sedation or anaesthesia, and clinical support are provided by credentialed clinicians working within their scope of clinical practice.
Purpose
To ensure all colonoscopies and associated sedation and clinical care are provided by skilled clinicians at a high level of safety and quality.
For consumers
When you have a colonoscopy you can expect to be cared for by qualified doctors and nurses who have met necessary health service organisation and professional requirements and standards. This includes those providing your nursing care, sedation or anaesthesia, and your colonoscopy. You can expect that the doctor or specialist nurse who carries out the colonoscopy will keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
For clinicians
Ensure that your training, skills and experience allow you to provide safe, high quality care to a patient undergoing colonoscopy, in accordance with expected professional standards. Comply with your health service organisation’s policies and procedures regarding your scope of clinical practice. Interact with your peers to ensure your performance, and theirs, meets the accepted requirements for safety and quality (for example, participate in peer review meetings, quality clinical improvement processes including the collection of quality indicators, and reviews of evidence-based best practice). If you are a colonoscopist, undergo certification and participate in a recertification process that is accepted by your professional association and employer. Supervise trainees at a level appropriate to their skill and experience.
For health service organisations
Identify credentials that are required for clinicians to perform colonoscopy or provide sedation or anaesthesia for patients undergoing colonoscopy, and ensure credentialing processes are adequate, as set out in Credentialing health practitioners and defining the scope of clinical practice: A guide for managers and practitioners. For clinicians performing colonoscopy, identify accepted certification and recertification processes according to their clinical speciality and professional body and use this when credentialing clinicians and defining their scope of clinical practice. Ensure non-anaesthetist practitioners who provide sedation meet a defined standard of competency for sedation. Support participation by clinicians in peer review activities. Monitor and periodically review individual and service performance against accepted quality indicators and ensure under-performance is addressed promptly and effectively. Where relevant to the health service organisation, implement and ensure compliance with policies and procedures for the safe supervision of trainees.
For consumers
When you have a colonoscopy you can expect to be cared for by qualified doctors and nurses who have met necessary health service organisation and professional requirements and standards. This includes those providing your nursing care, sedation or anaesthesia, and your colonoscopy. You can expect that the doctor or specialist nurse who carries out the colonoscopy will keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
For clinicians
Ensure that your training, skills and experience allow you to provide safe, high quality care to a patient undergoing colonoscopy, in accordance with expected professional standards. Comply with your health service organisation’s policies and procedures regarding your scope of clinical practice. Interact with your peers to ensure your performance, and theirs, meets the accepted requirements for safety and quality (for example, participate in peer review meetings, quality clinical improvement processes including the collection of quality indicators, and reviews of evidence-based best practice). If you are a colonoscopist, undergo certification and participate in a recertification process that is accepted by your professional association and employer. Supervise trainees at a level appropriate to their skill and experience.
For health service organisations
Identify credentials that are required for clinicians to perform colonoscopy or provide sedation or anaesthesia for patients undergoing colonoscopy, and ensure credentialing processes are adequate, as set out in Credentialing health practitioners and defining the scope of clinical practice: A guide for managers and practitioners. For clinicians performing colonoscopy, identify accepted certification and recertification processes according to their clinical speciality and professional body and use this when credentialing clinicians and defining their scope of clinical practice. Ensure non-anaesthetist practitioners who provide sedation meet a defined standard of competency for sedation. Support participation by clinicians in peer review activities. Monitor and periodically review individual and service performance against accepted quality indicators and ensure under-performance is addressed promptly and effectively. Where relevant to the health service organisation, implement and ensure compliance with policies and procedures for the safe supervision of trainees.
Read Quality Statement 7 - Procedure