Officials say data provided by Regent will make it easier for otolaryngologists to comply with new regulations and help deliver more powerful research
Get Ready for Quality Improvement: Panelists outline helpful metrics and more
Close on the heels of the evidence-based medicine movement comes increasing pressure for physicians and health care institutions to develop and implement quality improvement measures that will not only improve quality of care, but also reduce medical costs and provide a way to measure performance by physicians and institutions. Integral to this process is the development of appropriate metrics by which to measure outcomes and physician performance that accurately reflect otolaryngology and its subspecialties. Two sessions at the recent 2011 American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting held here Sept. 13 highlighted issues that are important for otolaryngologists striving to meet the growing demand for quality improvement.
Minimizing Risk: Experts share tips on how to manage OSA patients undergoing surgery
For patients undergoing surgery, identification of known or suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is critical to avoid or minimize surgical complications that are increased in these patients, experts said here last month at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Head and Neck Expert Dr. Jonas T. Johnson Warns Against CRT Overuse
Dr. Johnson gave the presentation at COSM 2011.
Lecturer Warns Against Overuse of CRT: Says many early-stage laryngeal cancer patients overtreated
Chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for head and neck cancer is overused at some centers in patients with early-stage laryngeal cancer, and more care should be taken not to overtreat patients with therapy that can have toxic effects, said invited lecturer Jonas Johnson, MD, at the Annual Meeting of the Triological Society, held here on April 29 as part of the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings.
New Tool Could Aid Decisions on Elective Neck Dissection: Fast polymerase chain reaction detects sentinel lymph node positivity
Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) can be a valuable tool in the operating room to determine whether head and neck cancer patients should go on to elective neck dissection, researchers said here on April 29 at the Annual Meeting of the Triological Society, held as part of the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings.
Treatment Options: Study reports neck dissection effective in patients with residual disease
Patients who had residual neck disease after treatment for a primary head and neck squamous carcinoma and then underwent neck dissection had comparable survival rates to those who had their disease resolved after their initial chemotherapy and radiation treatment, according to a retrospective analysis from researchers at the University of Louisville in Kentucky presented here Jan. 27.
A Glass Half Full: Triological Society president draws attention to the benefits of U.S. health care
The debate over soaring health care costs fails to properly acknowledge the benefits that have stemmed from improved medical technology and expanded medical knowledge, said Triological Society President Gerald Berke, MD, in an address at the society’s Combined Sections Meeting, held here on Jan. 27.
The Medical Home Gains Momentum: Could a team-based model work for otolaryngology?
The patient-centered medical home’s star appears to be rising. Thirty-eight states are testing this model of care in some way, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. The federal health system reform law, passed this spring, includes several provisions encouraging the concept.
Room for Improvement: Pediatric ambulatory centers could benefit from guidelines, panelists say
Pediatric ambulatory surgery centers are fast-paced, high-volume places with many of the ingredients that can contribute to safety concerns, a patient safety expert from Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) said at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), held here Sept. 26-29.