Mobile endoscopy in rural South Africa: outcomes of a decentralised outreach programme to improve gastrointestinal healthcare access.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying upper and lower GI pathologies yet is rarely available in resource-limited settings. This project evaluates the impact of a mobile endoscopy outreach effort implemented across five district hospitals in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Methods

A mobile endoscopy outreach programme was created and implemented at five district hospitals within the Western Cape of South Africa. Health records of patients who presented for endoscopy across these five hospitals were then retrospectively reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used as part of data analysis.

Results

A total of 515 procedures (486 oesophagogastroduodenoscopies (94%), 28 colonoscopies (5%) and one proctoscopy (0.2%)) were

SUBMITTER: Deal M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12750763 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature