The ERCP Quality Network: A Pilot Study of Benchmarking Practice and Performance

There is increasing interest in the quality of endoscopic practice and in documenting it. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the most complex and risky procedure performed regularly by gastroenterologists. The goal was to test the acceptability and functioning of a voluntary system for individual endoscopists to report details of their ERCP cases and to compare them with unidentified peers. Participants were compared by site of practice, procedure complexity, volumes, durations, and selected technical success rates. There was no independent audit. A total of 63 endoscopists in the United States entered data on 18 182 procedures over 3 years. Results in academic and community practices were similar, but there were significant and expected differences in the complexity of practice and key quality metrics between endoscopists performing more than and fewer than 100 cases per year. The study provided useful data on variations in ERCP practice in the United States and will assist in planning the development of national projects in this field.