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.
The idea of reusing single-use devices may bring to mind the recent news of a Las Vegas urologist who was investigated in March for supposedly resuing single-use devices. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, Dr. Michael Kaplan is accussed of reusing, but not not decontaminating, endocavity needle guides. While Dr. Kaplan’s specific case may be unique, the idea of reprocessing single-use devices is not.
When performing certain procedures, many otolaryngologists use succinylcholine, a neuromuscular blocking agent, to help them monitor the facial nerve.
Regarding the article, “Otolaryngologist Pioneers New Practice Model: Dr. Russell heralds hospitalist role as others ponder the concept’s staying power”…
An increasing number of physicians are venturing onto the web, and, in particular, into social media. Recently, my client Dr. M was advised by a consultant to update his practice’s website, create a Facebook page for his practice and join Twitter. The marketing consultant cautioned Dr. M that there are legal concerns for health care providers associated with the Internet and social media. While social media can be a beneficial marketing tool, it is important for physicians to have in place a specific media policy that addresses the proper ways to use this outreach both in and outside the workplace.
A little over a year ago, I wrote an op-ed piece for ENT Today titled, “The Gender Gap in Otolaryngology: How do we make it disappear?” (February 2010). I challenged our specialty to find innovative and inclusive ways to tap into the extraordinary pool of talent found in our women otolaryngologists. And thanks to some extraordinarily enlightened leadership, we did it! Way beyond all hopes and expectations, the men and women of our specialty have paved the way for meaningful and fruitful change.
If you think your patients are finding your otolaryngology practice by looking in the Yellow Pages, think again. Increasingly, patients are deciding which physician to call by visiting the web and reading feedback on sites like vitals.com, healthgrades.com, lifescript.com and drscore.com.
The question of how soon to give antibiotics to children with acute otitis media (AOM) is receiving renewed attention with the publication of two studies that show the benefit of immediate treatment over the “wait-and-see” approach recommended in the 2004 guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAP/AAFP).
I read with great interest the article published in the December 2010 issue of ENT Today, “Safety Net: With violence on the rise, otolaryngologists implement prevention strategies”. Physician safety in the workplace is still largely ignored and your article serves to further awareness of the problem. I thank you for providing this forum.
When Kevin Watson joined Colorado Otolaryngology Associates, PC, as administrator nearly two years ago, the Colorado Springs practice wasn’t asking patients about their care experience in a systematic fashion. “They had done some patient surveys, but it was all hard copy and they hadn’t received a great response,” he said.