Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1523628
15 GASTROENTEROLOGY 2024 GI compensation in 9 numbers By Claire Wallace G astroenterologists in the U.S. earn an average of $515,000 annually, according to Medscape's 2024 "Gastroenterologist Compensation Report," published May 24. Here are eight more statistics to know regarding gastroenterologist compensation in 2024, per the report: 1. Sixty percent of gastroenterologists said compensation was a factor when choosing their practice specialty. 2. A majority of gastroenterologists (65%) said most physicians in the U.S. are underpaid. 3. A minority of gastroenterologists (44%) said they are fairly compensated when considering work demands. 4. Gastroenterologists saw a 2% increase in pay in 2024 compared to 2023. 5. irty-nine percent of gastroenterologists said they take on side gigs outside their key roles. 6. Only 44% of gastroenterologists reported feeling happy with their compensation rates. 7. About 61% of gastroenterologists said their income is not impacted by competing physician practices. 8. Around 69% of gastroenterologists said compensation bonuses are available to them. n How systems could double colorectal cancer screenings By Claire Wallace G iving patients more choice in their colorectal cancer screening options could double the number of patients who get screened, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. When patients are given the choice between a take-home test kit or undergoing a colonoscopy, more patients voluntarily undergo screenings, according to a May 22 press release from Penn Medicine. The study looked at 738 patients aged 50-74 at a community health center in Pottstown, Pa., where about half of the patients are receiving Medicaid. The baseline colorectal cancer screening rate before the trial was about 22%, much lower than the national average of 72%. "Offering the choice of colonoscopy or take-home kits seem to have the advantage of maximizing the rates of colonoscopy—the most effective screening tool—while not overloading individuals with too much of a choice, which could have lowered overall participation," Shivan Mehta, MD, Penn Medicine's associate chief innovation officer, associate professor of gastroenterology and the study's lead author, said in the release.n Endoscopy in patients on Ozempic: What to know By Claire Wallace P hysicians and physician groups have expressed concern surrounding procedures, especially those involving anesthesia, in patients taking glucagon- like peptide 1 receptor agonist weight loss medications, including Ozempic. While encountering retained gastric contents during upper endoscopy is more common in patients taking GLP- 1s, there is rarely a risk of abortion or aspiration during endoscopy, according to a May 9 report from Medscape based on new data from Cleveland Clinic. Researchers analyzed 1,512 endoscopies performed on patients taking GLP-1s. Of the procedures performed, 142 patients had retained gastric contents. The prevalence of retained gastric contents was higher (11.6%) in the EGDs performed to evaluate upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Endoscopy was aborted in 30 cases (2%), with 29 patients having retained gastric contents. Despite retained gastric contents, the risk of aspiration remained low and was only marginally higher than the rate among the general population. Other adverse events in patients on GLP-1s included four cases (0.3%) of intraprocedural hypoxia and one each of abdominal pain, bronchospasm and cholangitis, which were all categorized as mild. n