Recently reviewed Clinical Indicators posted to website
The AAO-HNS/F reviews all Clinical Indicators, Position Statements, and Clinical Practice Guidelines on a regular basis. As part of this scheduled cycle, six Clinical Indicators, including “Ethmoidectomy,” “Mandibular Fracture,” “LeFort Fracture,” “Nasal endoscopy,” “Laryngoscopy/Nasopharyngoscopy,” and “Endoscopic Sinus Indicators,” were recently reviewed.
The AAO-HNS/F reviews all Clinical Indicators, Position Statements, and Clinical Practice Guidelines on a regular basis. As part of this scheduled cycle, six Clinical Indicators, including “Ethmoidectomy,” “Mandibular Fracture,” “LeFort Fracture,” “Nasal endoscopy,” “Laryngoscopy/Nasopharyngoscopy,” and “Endoscopic Sinus Indicators,” were recently reviewed. They were reviewed through the Academy committee structure, which included the clinical committee involved, the Physician Payment Policy (3P) workgroup, and the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, and approved with updates. These have been posted to the website and supersede prior versions of these indicators (of note, the prior versions were in force until January 19, 2015). These indicators are designed to aid clinicians and payers alike in best practices, but do not replace the clinical judgment necessary to treat individual patients.
Important disclaimer notice
Clinical indicators for otolaryngology serve as a checklist for practitioners and a quality care review tool for clinical departments. The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. and Foundation (AAO-HNS/F) Clinical Indicators are intended as suggestions, not rules, and should be modified by users when deemed medically necessary. In no sense do they represent a standard of care. The applicability of an indicator for a procedure must be determined by the responsible physician in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient.
Adherence to these clinical indicators will not ensure successful treatment in every situation. The AAO-HNS/F emphasizes that these clinical indicators should not be deemed inclusive of all proper treatment decisions or methods of care, nor exclusive of other treatment decisions or methods of care reasonably directed to obtaining the same results. The AAO-HNS/F is not responsible for treatment decisions or care provided by individual physicians.
CPT five-digit codes, nomenclature, and other data are copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. No fee schedules, basic units, relative values or related listings are included in CPT. The AMA assumes no liability for the data contained herein.
© 2015 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. 1650 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 22314.
