Methodological considerations for surveillance in GI practice

Øyvind Holme; Magnus Løberg

doi:10.1016/j.bpg.2016.10.011

Methodological considerations for surveillance in GI practice

Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Dec;30(6):867-878. doi: 10.1016/j.bpg.2016.10.011. Epub 2016 Oct 28.

Authors

Øyvind Holme¹, Magnus Løberg²

Affiliations

¹ Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand, Department of Medicine, Kristiansand, Norway; University of Oslo, Institute of Health and Society, Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: oyvind.holme@medisin.uio.no.
² University of Oslo, Institute of Health and Society, Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Oslo, Norway; Oslo University Hospital, Department of Transplantation Medicine and K. G. Jebsen Center for Colorectal Cancer Research, Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 27938782
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpg.2016.10.011

Abstract

Surveillance is recommended for various GI cancers, and substantial resources are invested. However, little is known about the effect of surveillance, neither for good, nor for bad. Most evidence stems from observational studies, but observational studies of surveillance can be subject to various biases that may severely influence the results. In this chapter we discuss challenges related to various research questions, study designs, choice of endpoints, and how to deal with different forms of bias. We hope this chapter will be helpful for researchers when performing high-quality studies of surveillance, and to enable physicians and policy-makers to understand the possibilities and limitations of current evidence.

Keywords: Bias; Cancer; Screening; Surveillance.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Gastroenterology / methods*
Humans
Population Surveillance / methods*
Practice Patterns, Physicians'*
Research Design
Stomach Neoplasms / diagnosis*