Gastrointestinal fluoroscopy: what are we still doing?

OBJECTIVE

We used Medicare data to quantify trends in gastrointestinal fluoroscopy volume.

CONCLUSION

Although overall gastrointestinal fluoroscopy procedures continue to decline, the fall is not uniform. Nationwide Medicare data from 2001 to 2006 reveal that the volumes of barium enema and upper gastrointestinal studies suffered a steep drop, but the numbers of esophagograms and swallowing studies actually increased. These numbers highlight the challenge facing gastrointestinal fluoroscopy training and offer guidance for modifying curricula.