Adenoma detection rate is defined as the number of colonoscopies with at least one adenoma, expressed as the ratio of the total number of colonoscopies performed. 

Recently, an application of a conversion factor to estimate the adenoma detection rate from the polyp detection rate was described.

Dr Yaron Niv and colleagues examined the correlation between adenoma detection rate and polyp detection rate in the published studies, and assessed the relative ratio of these ratios for a better and more accurate estimation.

English Medical literature searches were performed for ‘polyp detection rate’ AND ‘adenoma detection rate’. 

The team carried out a meta-analysis for papers that fulfilled the inclusion criteria using comprehensive meta-analysis software.

The research team identified 25 studies and 42 sets of data, including 31,623 patients, from 9 countries published till 2017. 

Funnel plot did not indicate a significant publication bias. 

The team found that the relative ratio for adenoma detection rate calculated from polyp detection rate was 0.688. 

The reserchers observed significant heterogeneity.

Dr Niv's team comments, "We found the ratio of 0.688 can be used to calculate adenoma detection rate from polyp detection rate for the individual endoscopist or for a group of endoscopists before receiving the formal results from the pathology department."