Quality Improvement in Endoscopy: Has the Implementation of the ESGE Guideline 2017 Led to a Reduction in Post-ERCP Pancreatitis? A Multicenter Trial

In 2017, a new guideline addressing the quality in ERCP entitled "Performance measures for ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound: a European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Quality Improvement Initiative" was published. The focus of the quality improvement committee (QIC) of the ESGE is to ensure high standard of all endoscopy examinations throughout Europe by adhering to quality-improving factors (key performance indicators and minor performance indicators as defined by the ESGE).

The study shall provide the investigators with information whether the introduction of the quality performance measures adopted by the European Society of Endoscopy (ESGE) will actually lead to an improvement in quality.

The study will compare the quality development in endoscopy based on following time intervals:

1. before introduction of the QIC-initiative (before 2017)
2. after the introduction of the initiative (2017-2023) (both retrospective data),
3. prospectively, from 2024 onwards.

The primary endpoint of this study will be the key performance indicator post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). In the ESGE-guideline, a minimum standard of <10% and a target standard of <5% was recommended. Different studies described the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis between 3,47% and 10,2%.