Initiator and leader in several studies on bowel cancer screening and quality improvement.
Communication and dissemination of research.
Background
1971: Mb.Ch.B. from Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.
1971: Cand. Med., University of Oslo. 1986: dr. med., University of Oslo.
Geir Hoff is a specialist in internal medicine and a gastroenterology. He was head of Department of Medicine in Telemark Hospital Trust when he was called to plan and run the NORCCAP project (more information on this below).
Since then, his focus has been mainly on research and quality improvement, project planning and -management, and less on clinical work.
Projects
- Telemark polyp study no 1 (TPS-1) 1981: First randomized study on sigmoidoscopy screening for the prevention of bowel cancer. Benefit: The study showed that this type of screening is feasible. 2 PhD degrees and 24 scientific original publications.
- NORCCAP-study in Oslo and Telemark 1999-2001. Technically an enlarged version of the TPS-1 study, but with a number of major add-on studies. First (and so far the only) large-scale randomized study with sigmoidoscopy screening on an unselected population (drawn from the National Population Register). Benefit: The study has contributed greatly to the knowledge of screening. 12 PhD degrees and 55 scientific original publications.
- Pilot on a national screening programme 2012 -? (ongoing) (Bowel Cancer Screening in Norway (BCSN) pilot): This is also a randomized study on the screening of an unselected population. In contrast to the NORCCAP trial comparing sigmoidoscopy to no screening, this study is a randomized comparison of two screening methods - sigmoidoscopy screening and screening for occult (invisible) blood in the stools. Benefit: Like the NORCCAP study (which was also a pilot on a national screening program), this study has facilitated the political decision to launch a national bowel screening program starting in 2019. 2 Phd degrees and 8 scientific original publications so far.
- Gastronet – from 2003: A project for quality improvement of gastrointestinal endoscopic examinations - primarily colonoscopies with special focus on patient experiences. Status as a national quality register from 2012. Benefit: Some (but insufficient) improvement in pain experience during colonoscopy. 7 PhD degrees and 40 scientific original publications.
- Own column in «Telemarksavisa» (newspaper with about 70.000 daily readers): Geir Hoff has managed his own weekly column «Forskning og sånt….» («Research and such….») since January 2018. The purpose is first and foremost to spread knowledge and interest in research.
