Published: June 29, 2016

Guidelines and consensus statements: A foundation for Quality

The AAO-HNSF Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) and Clinical Consensus Statement (CCS) program continues to thrive. We’ve completed several five-year CPG updates, created several new products, released the eagerly anticipated CCS manual, and welcomed a few new methodologists.

Citations for the guideline products now exceeds 3,500.

Guideline Task Force products see high yield in downloads and citations

The AAO-HNSF Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) and Clinical Consensus Statement (CCS) program continues to thrive. We’ve completed several five-year CPG updates, created several new products, released the eagerly anticipated CCS manual, and welcomed a few new methodologists.

Five-year updates

CPG Otitis Media with Effusion (published February 2016)
CPG Cerumen Impaction (under journal review)
CPG Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (under journal review)
CPG Hoarseness (Dysphonia) (in process)

New products

CCS Septoplasty with or without Inferior Turbinoplasty (published November 2015)
CCS Development Manual (published November 2015)
CPG Rhinoplasty (in process)
Evaluation of the Neck Mass in Adults (in process)

We are pleased to see a continued, high-level of interest in the guidelines. Citations for the guideline products now exceeds 3,500 and all of the 2015 Top 10 most accessed articles for Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery were guideline products (totaling more than 150,000 downloads).

Our senior guideline methodologists, Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, and Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH, have been busy training additional Members to become guideline methodologists. Our current methodologists in training include Stacey L. Ishman, MD, MPH; David E. Tunkel, MD; and Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS. Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, is also a contributing methodologist, however, her 2014-2015 AAO-HNS president-elect and AAO-HNS 2015-2016 president leadership positions have placed a temporary hold on her engagement with the program. We look forward to welcoming her back into the fold this fall.

The Guideline Task Force continues to meet in both the spring and fall to review new guideline and CCS topics. The current queue includes five-year updates for “Tonsillectomy in Children,” “Polysomnography for Sleep Disordered Breathing prior to Tonsillectomy in Children,” and “Sudden Hearing Loss.” New guidelines are scheduled for the “Surgical Management of Rhinosinusitis, Meniere’s Disease, and Epistaxis.”

To help educate Members about the clinical practice guidelines, 22 CME activities and nine American Board of Otolaryngology Self-Assessment Modules/Performance Improvement Modules have been linked to the pertinent guideline webpages.

More from July 2016 - Vol. 35, No. 6

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JOHN CONLEY, MD LECTURE ON MEDICAL ETHICS

Applying Dr. Conley’s Ethical Standards to The Practice of Contemporary Otolaryngology G. Richard Holt, MD, MPH, and panelists Susan D. McCammon, MD; Kevin Christopher McMains, MD; and Howard W. Francis, MD

Irish Portrait High Res

EUGENE N. MYERS, MD INTERNATIONAL LECTURE ON HEAD AND NECK CANCER

The Changing Role of the Surgeon: Leading the Transformation of Healthcare Jonathan Irish, MD, MSC, FRCSC

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LEGENDS IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY LECTURE

The Medical Aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Paparella Lecture Mc Kenna Photo

AAO-HNSF/INTERNATIONAL HEARING FOUNDATION/ MICHAEL M. PAPARELLA, MD ENDOWED LECTURE FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTIONS IN CLINICAL OTOLOGY

Human Otopathology: Renaissance or Return to the Dark Ages Michael J. McKenna, MD

Neel Lecture Somerman Photo

H. Bryan Neel III, MD, PHD Distinguished Research Lecture

NIDCR: Advancing Health Through Research and Innovation

Tonsils

Information for patients

In 2012 the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation launched Choosing Wisely® with a goal of advancing a national dialogue on avoiding wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures.

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AAO-HNSF Historical Library opens

The unveiling of the new AAO-HNSF Historical Library occurred on Saturday, March 19, 2016, during the Leadership Forum & BOG Spring Meeting.

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Thanks to State Trackers

With most state legislatures adjourned for the year, the AAO-HNS sincerely thanks its State Trackers who helped make 2016 another successful year. Despite their full workloads and family obligations, these physician-leaders took action and volunteered their time to closely monitor and report on legislative activity in their statehouses.

Surgical teams from ReSurge International worked with local surgeons in Bahia de Caraquez.

Mission to Ecuador repairs facial burns, cleft lips, and palates

I doubt my reasons for participating in a humanitarian mission were unique: satisfaction in helping others, love of travel, the interesting pathology, learning new viewpoints and techniques. Nonetheless I traveled to Bahia de Caraquez in coastal Ecuador for a week to perform cleft lip and palate repairs. Once you arrive, it doesn’t matter why you came but rather that you’re there, ready to work.

Participants indicated they most valued the mentorship and networking experience provided by the simulation. One participant remarked that she would have never had the courage to ask for what she needed to support her career without the skills and backing of the group leaders and participants. Not a photo of the course.

Women in Otolaryngology Section: Ten complete inaugural Leadership Course

On a February 2016 evening video conference call, a group of 10 diverse female otolaryngologists completed the first Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Section Leadership Course.

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Addressing private payer denials

The Health Policy Team collaborates with the Academy’s Physician Payment Policy Workgroup (3P) to address and monitor national practice management issues and private payer denials. Nevertheless, there are challenges at the state/local level that require a more focused approach.

Aao Hnsf Awards

Academy imaging advocacy update

In May 2016, Academy leaders held a call with leaders from the Society of University Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons (SUO), Association of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AADO), and Otolaryngology Program Directors Organization (OPDO) to discuss residency imaging education in response to payer concerns that non-radiology specialists, including otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons, are performing imaging services without the proper training.

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Be a BOG All-Star Advocate

Ah, summer! There is everything to love about summer: warm weather, long days, vacations, and baseball. This month, top-notch major league baseball players will convene for the mid-season All-Star game in beautiful San Diego, CA. So what does it mean to be an “all-star?” Simply, it means to be the best.

James C. Denneny III, MD, AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEO

The growing season

Research and quality-related activities are a high priority and will be even more critical for our Members and their patients in the upcoming years. A significant portion of our budget is dedicated to basic and clinical research as well as quality-related projects.

Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD AAO-HNS/F Past President

Learning leadership

Leadership is one of those popular buzzwords these days. When most of us applied to medical school and residency, we were thinking about the medical and surgical work at hand and not really about becoming leaders.