ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Act Locally: Quality and Safety in Head and Neck Care

by Jennifer Decker Arevalo, MA • October 1, 2007

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Every specialty of medicine, including otolaryngology, faces challenges to providing a safer environment for patients. Responding to these challenges will not only improve patient safety, but overall quality of care, as well. – -Kenneth I. Shine, MD

You Might Also Like

  • ‘Patient-Centered Approach’ Delivers High-Quality Care to Patients with Head and Neck Cancers
  • How Tumor Boards Can Improve Care for Patients with Head, Neck Cancer
  • Developing Quality Measures in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
  • Higher-Quality Larynx Cancer Care Associated with Lower Mortality, Morbidity
Explore This Issue
October 2007

How will 21st-century otolaryngologists meet these challenges? Like all other physicians-by doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right person and having the best possible results, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

We, as head and neck surgeons, have to get it right the first time and every time, said Randal S. Weber, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, during his Presidential Address at the 2007 Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meeting. If we fail to control the patient’s head and neck cancer by providing the highest quality of evidenced-based care available, subsequent survival and outcome are negatively impacted.

It is no longer acceptable to be a ‘dabbler,’ described by John M. Lore, MD,i as one who manages a few patients, does not have the necessary support personnel, lacks appropriate rehabilitation facilities, and fails to keep abreast of the continuing education in head and neck surgical oncology, said Dr. Weber.

Fortunately, there are strategies that we can use to overcome many of the factors, such as rarity of the disease, lack of high-quality evidence-based data from randomized controlled trials, variations in practitioner experience, skill, bias, and philosophy, and differences in treatment center capabilities that affect the quality of head and neck cancer care, continued Dr. Weber. Some of these strategies are currently in use by head and neck surgeons and others are gaining in momentum.

Strategies to Improve Quality

Multiple strategies and opportunities exist for improving the quality of head and neck cancer care.

Head and neck surgeons should be familiar with and follow the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and/or specialty society evidence-based treatment guidelines during their decision-making process, to avoid omitting any aspects of appropriate care. These guidelines (www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/head-and-neck.pdf ) are updated continually and are based on evaluation of scientific data integrated with expert judgment by multidisciplinary panels of physicians from NCCN member institutions. They clearly indicate the importance of having patients participate in and surgeons support clinical trials, as currently, fewer than 2% of head and neck cancer patients are entered into clinical trials.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 | Single Page

Filed Under: Everyday Ethics, Head and Neck, Practice Management Issue: October 2007

You Might Also Like:

  • ‘Patient-Centered Approach’ Delivers High-Quality Care to Patients with Head and Neck Cancers
  • How Tumor Boards Can Improve Care for Patients with Head, Neck Cancer
  • Developing Quality Measures in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
  • Higher-Quality Larynx Cancer Care Associated with Lower Mortality, Morbidity

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Experts Delve into Treatment Options for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Is the Training and Cost of a Fellowship Worth It? Here’s What Otolaryngologists Say
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Why Virtual Grand Rounds May Be Here to Stay
    • Otolaryngologist Leverages His Love of Pinball into Second Business
    • These New Imaging Advances May Help to Protect Parathyroids
    • Is the Training and Cost of a Fellowship Worth It? Here’s What Otolaryngologists Say
    • Which Otologic Procedures Poses the Greatest Risk of Aerosol Generation?

Polls

Have you used 3D-printed materials in your otolaryngology practice?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2021 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.