Economic and medical advantages of digestive tract endoscopy

Abstract

U ovom radu analizirana je medicinska i financijska vrijednost određenih dijagnostičkih i opera tivno-terapijskih zahvata (kod gastroenterohepatoloških bolesnika) koji se mogu obaviti endoskopskim i rendgenološkim, odnosno kirurškim putem. To je dosta važno s obzirom na sve lošije financijsko stanje u zdravstvu. U pogledu dijagnostike digestivnih bolesti, endoskopiji treba dati primat nad rendgenologijom, jer osim medicinskih prednosti (nema žračenja bolesnika, mogućnost vizualnog pregleda i uzimanja uzorka za histološku analizu), ona je i jeftinija. S obzirom na doktrinski stav da, iako imamo pozitivan rendgenološki nalaz, produženje dijagnostike mora biti endoskopijom uz uzimanje uzoraka za histološku analizu, dolazi do dupliranja pretraga, a time do gubitka velike sume novca. Iz toga je jasno da je ušteda više nego očita primjenom samo primarne endoskopije. Prednost operativno-terapeutskih endoskopskih zahvata nad kirurškim su očite, kako u medicinskom (niska smrtnost, manje komplikacija, kraći period rehabilitacije, humaniji pristup), tako i u financijskom pogledu. Iz svega toga proizlazi da svako ulaganje u razvoj endoskopije znači više obavljenih dijagnostičkih i operativnih endoskopskih zahvata, a time ukidanje rendgenoloških i kirurških, što će doprinijeti ogromnoj uštedi novca.The paper analyzes medical and financial values of certain diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patients with gastroenterohepatic diseases which can be performed endoscopically, radiographically or surgically. Considering the miserable financial condition of the health care system, this comparison is very important. In the diagnostics of digestive diseases endoscopy must be preferred to radiography, since in addition to medical advantages (no radiation of the patients, possibility of visual examination and sampling for histological analysis), it is cheaper, as well. Besides, following of the doctrine that in case of positive radiograms the diagnostics must be continued by endoscopy and taking samples for histological analysis duplicates the examinations and causes a considerable loss of money. Thus, primary endoscopy evidently means economization. The therapeutical endoscopic procedures have the advantage over surgery, both from the medical (low mortality, less complications, shorter period of rehabilitation and humane treatment) and the financial point of view. Accordingly, any investment into the development of endoscopy means more diagnostic and therapeutical endoscopic procedures performed as well as the abolition of radiographic and surgical procedures, which would contribute to saving considerable amounts of money