“Hospital-community integration is the only strategy to improve performance, reduce inappropriate hospital visits and above all build common implementation bases and evidence-based medicine guidelines, the only tools that can help make the our National Health Service with equal resources”. So Bruno Annibale, president of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy (Sige), on the sidelines of the 29th National Congress of Digestive Diseases promoted by Fismad in Rome.
“The pandemic – he recalls – has taught us above all to optimize clinical activity, even with modern technologies. This is certainly the model we must pursue. From telemedicine to teleconsultation, every means of communication, every type of contact between specialists in the The hospital and the territory is a tool that can improve clinical practice and the patient journey”.
A few weeks ago – it emerged from the congress – a new report from the American Cancer Society confirmed the increase in colorectal cancer rates in young people. It is the third cause of new cancers and deaths for men (after lung and prostate), even if some parameters are in contrast, with declining numbers for people over 65 years of age. Colorectal cancer – it was reiterated – is the second most common in Italy, with over 48,000 new cases in 2022 and an increase of 1.5% in men and 1.6% in women.
In the revision proposal to the Dm70, Fismad suggests to foresee a UOC of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy (not only Endoscopy) in hub and spoke.
“The increase in Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Units in the area” according to Annibale “has a very positive impact, because it would make colon cancer screening much more feasible. Because it is known that, even if there were 100% adherence of the population to this screening, we would not be able to cope with the request with the current resources of tools and personnel and structures.It is therefore necessary to try to increase this service, because it is an absolutely relevant and priority social, economic and health issue “.
With 21 regional health services, the gastroenterology structures “are very different in the territory, very concentrated in the metropolitan areas, few in the South and above all in the small hospitals – concludes the president Sige – with an impact on quotas of populations from which specialist specialties are taken away of this vast and important field”.