Introduction:

There is a global concern regarding the need to improve performance in endoscopic procedures, and Latin America is no exception. A high-quality endoscopic study requires appropriate indications, accurate diagnosis and therapy, and minimal risks. The PEnQuIN consensus, developed by experts from North America and Europe, established standard quality indicators for pediatric endoscopy across three phases: pre-procedure, intra-procedure, and post-procedure. This study aims to develop a consensus among experts on quality indicators for pediatric digestive endoscopy in Latin America.

Methodology:

Based on the available scientific evidence, statements were defined and subjected to real-time Delphi consensus rounds. The process continued until an agreement of at least 80% was reached among participants, with a Cronbach’s alpha exceeding 0.8. The panel comprised 24 pediatric gastroenterologists selected using a modified questionnaire similar to that employed in the California cohort studies.

Results:

Of the 44 initial statements, consensus was reached on 36, which were established as quality indicators for pediatric digestive endoscopy. Eight indicators achieved unanimous agreement. The Cronbach’s alpha for this Delphi questionnaire was 0.85. The indicators were categorized into 13 pre-procedure measures, 20 intra-procedure measures, and 3 post-procedure measures.

Conclusions:

The quality indicators developed through the Delphi Consensus are applicable to any pediatric endoscopy unit. They are easy to implement and align with established healthcare quality and endoscopy standards. These indicators can be measured and, when applied, help reduce disparities in human and material resources among countries.

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