The role of caffeine on the performance of endoscopists
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Role of Caffeine Intake on the Performance of Endoscopists during Colonoscopy: a Randomised Controlled Trial
IRAS ID
303469
Contact name
Nisha Patel
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading malignancy worldwide and a leading cause of mortality. Colorectal cancer often develops from neoplastic lesions, and colonoscopy remains the gold standard for detection and resection of these lesions. However, as with any procedure, endoscopic polyp detection has operator-dependent limitations. There is evidence highlighting that small polyps may be missed at colonoscopy. The primary colonoscopy quality indicator is the adenoma detection rate (ADR). Given that ADR is inversely proportional to post colonoscopy CRC risk, there is an unmet need to tackle the issues that lead to missed polyps.
Human and technical factors lead to a small but significant proportion of missed polyps during colonoscopy. The repetitive and sequentially performed nature of colonoscopies can promote fatigue, inattention and illogical reasoning, which consequently leads to a substandard outcome and missed polyps. Endoscopy involves a large cognitive-motor component, in the form of decision making. The process of focusing on critical cues and choosing the best response, requires a combination of fine and gross motor movements, in a coordinated manner, as well as cognitive vigilance, judgement and executive function.
Caffeine is a popular stimulant associated with ergogenic properties. Caffeine has been shown to increase productivity and performance. The effects of caffeine on the physical and cognitive conduct of endoscopists during colonoscopy should be explored.
The main aims of this project are:
• To determine the effects of caffeine on the physical and cognitive performance of endoscopists during colonoscopy.
• To ascertain whether the addition of caffeine leads to an increase in the rate of polyp detection, and the ADR.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0256
Date of REC Opinion
5 Nov 2021
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion