Published: February 5, 2019Clinical Practice Guidelines: Patient Information More from February 2019 – Vol. 38, No. 1Tonsillectomy in children update“Tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on children in the United States. The principal indications are obstructive sleep disordered breathing (oSDB) and recurrent sore throats. Since the guideline’s publication in 2011, there has been a large number of new studies published on tonsillectomy, including randomized-controlled trials and several meta-analyses.Passport to get involvedMake your impact on the specialty by engaging with the Academy. From publishing and advocacy opportunities to getting involved with sections and committees, there are several pathways that are designed to fit different levels of participation based on your availability.CME that counts for MOCMEThis summer, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®) and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS) announced a new collaboration to expand opportunities for ABOHNS Board-Certified Physicians to receive Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits, or continuing certification, by participating in accredited continuing medical education (CME).AMA House of Delegates report: Issues impacting otolaryngologyThe American Medical Association (AMA) held its 2018 Interim House of Delegates (HOD) Meeting November 9-13, at National Harbor, MD. The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery was represented by Delegation Chair Douglas R. Myers, MD; Delegate Robert Puchalski, MD; Delegate Craig S. Derkay, MD; Alternate Delegate Susan D. McCammon, MD; and Alternate Delegate James C. Denneny III, MD, AAO-HNS EVP/CEO.Epic-approved solution for data sharing in pilot-testing with the Reg-ent RegistryEpic is one of the most highly used electronic health records and is used by many Academic Medical centers, hospitals, and health systems. FIGmd has been working with Epic to develop an Epic-approved solution for use across all the FIGmd registries, including Reg-ent.Online content: Humanitarian service in RwandaMedical Missions for Children (MMFC) is a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization established by H. Dennis Snyder, MD 25 years ago, with a goal to build sustainable healthcare, education, and social services infrastructure in the underserved areas of the world. This is accomplished by fostering long-term relationships and sending volunteer teams on missions to over 15 countries each year.XI Balkan Congress of OtorhinolaryngologyWhile the waves lapped the sand and rock music blared from the loudspeakers of the many bars lining the beach, inside the Congress Center of the International Hotel in Golden Sands, Bulgaria, the XI Balkan Congress of Otorhinolaryngology took place.Advocacy in Action: Revised physician compounding requirements improvedThe AAO-HNS recently submitted comments to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) supporting its proposed revisions to Chapter 797 regarding in-office sterile compounding by physicians. The revised chapter, which is markedly different from the first USP draft released in 2016, re-establishes an exception for allergen extracts mixed with aseptic technique, but without the environmental and other controls required for more dangerous compounded drugs.Call for nomineesIn an effort to foster a global otolaryngology community, the AAO-HNS Foundation supports otolaryngologists around the world who demonstrate a unique commitment to the specialty.Board of Governors: Your 2019 resolutionBy the middle of February, nearly 80 percent of individuals have already stumbled in maintaining their New Year’s resolutions. Plus, internet-derived commentary suggests that the reasons for these failures are summed up nicely with the acronym CLIFF.Agenda: Practice Management Pearls and Successes / WellnessAll sessions are open to all attendees unless otherwise noted (events subject to change).ENT Advocacy Network: Keep an ear to the groundBy joining the ENT Advocacy Network—a free AAO-HNS member benefit—you can take an active role in improving legislation and regulations affecting the practice of otolaryngology. Often, elected officials look to physicians in their districts for expertise when trying to develop or change healthcare policies.Celebrate the small victoriesAs we look forward to the new year, there are several defining events for which we need to prepare. First, the AMA combined CPT/RUC report on altering the E/M system as proposed by CMS this year will be presented at the February CPT meeting. The results of that report and proposal for CPT coding will be discussed and could possibly create significant changes in the way we document and see office patients.The best and brightestWinter brings otolaryngology residency (and fellowship) interview season. You know the drill: letters of recommendation, travel snafus, origin stories, polished (and not so polished) answers to standard questions, and on and on.
