Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Choosing Wisely Campaign: imaging for patients with hoarseness, fine needle aspiration for neck mass, and ultrasound for odynophagia

J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018 Jan 8;47(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s40463-017-0251-x.

Abstract

Choosing Wisely Canada, is a campaign designed to raise awareness regarding inappropriate or unnecessary tests and treatments. The Canadian Society of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery and the Canadian Association of Head and Neck Surgical Oncologists developed a Choosing Wisely Canada list to help promote high quality care for patients presenting with disorders of the head and neck: (1) Don't order imaging - computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - as the initial investigation for patients presenting with a chief complaint of hoarseness, (2) Don't perform an open biopsy or excision of a neck mass without having first considered a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and, (3) Don't order neck ultrasound to investigate odynophagia (discomfort or pain with swallowing) or globus sensation.

Keywords: Choosing Wisely Canada; Communication; Head and neck surgical oncology; Health care delivery; Medical decision making.

Publication types

  • Letter
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Awareness
  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle / statistics & numerical data
  • Canada
  • Clinical Decision-Making*
  • Deglutition Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Health Promotion
  • Hoarseness / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Neck / pathology
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic / standards*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Surgical Oncology / standards
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / statistics & numerical data
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler / statistics & numerical data