Small-bowel capsule endoscopy - from clinic to couch: time to go green?
Lei, Ian Io Arasaradnam, Ramesh P Koulaouzidis, Anastasios
Lei, Ian Io
Arasaradnam, Ramesh P
Koulaouzidis, Anastasios
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) has transformed small-intestine diagnostics by enabling direct, noninvasive mucosal visualization. As healthcare systems increasingly prioritize value-based and sustainable care, this review explores recent advances in SBCE, focusing on home-delivery models, telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and environmental impact.
RECENT FINDINGS: Life-cycle analyses estimate ~20 kgCO 2 per SBCE, ~18 kgCO 2 arising from patient travel. Transitioning from hospital attendance to home-delivery models can materially reduce this footprint. Feasibility studies report high acceptability for remote delivery, teleconsultation, and decentralized reading. AI-assisted reading platforms have recently shown significant reductions in reporting time, improving workflow efficiency. Rural modelling suggests travel emissions for colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) can exceed colonoscopy (~19.2 kgCO 2 e) but fall to ~5.3 kgCO 2 e with optimized courier logistics, despite >50% follow-up endoscopy rate.
SUMMARY: SBCE now stands at the nexus of technological innovation, clinical utility, and environmental accountability. Its journey from hospital corridors to home settings exemplifies a diagnostic paradigm built on accessibility, efficiency, and ecological integrity. Realizing this vision requires multicentre trials that incorporate life cycle, cost-effectiveness, and patient-reported outcomes. The capsule of the future will not merely image the intestine - it will symbolize medicine's evolution toward intelligent, zero-waste diagnostics.
MIDER Authors
Affiliations
Institute of Precision Diagnostics & Translational Medicine, University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire; Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Leicester Cancer Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK; Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark; Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Department of Gastroenterology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
Date
2026-02-13
Type
Article
Collections
Citation
Current Opinion Gastroenterology. 2026 May 1;42(3):163-171