DOES COLOR-VISION DEFICIENCY IN THE ENDOSCOPIST INFLUENCE THE ACCURACY OF ENDOSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS - AN ANONYMOUS STUDY WITH DUTCH GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPISTS

Colors play a major role in the endoscopic diagnosis of many gastroint estinal conditions. Gastrointestinal endoscopists in the Netherlands a re predominantly male (> 90%), and from population data it is to be ex pected that approximately 8% will have a color vision deficiency. The present study was designed to assess the prevalence of color vision de ficiencies amongst Dutch gastrointestinal endoscopists and to determin e whether color vision deficiency affects an endoscopist's diagnostic skill. One hundred and thirty-nine gastroenterologists and physicians of internal medicine took an F-2 color vision test and assessed nine v ideofragments of endoscopies. Color vision deficiencies were detected in 8% of Dutch gastrointestinal endoscopists. In one out of the nine v ideo excerpts of endoscopies, a statistically significant difference w as detected between test subjects with and without a color vision defi ciency. However, this video excerpt showed a green pea, which could no t be mistaken for a polyp at polypectomy. The study therefore does not show any effect of color vision deficiencies on endoscopic skills, no r does it show any deviant prevalence of color vision deficiencies amo ngst Dutch gastrointestinal endoscopists.