Updated clinical indicators to be released

The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) has released updated Clinical Indicators for the public and physicians. Clinical indicators for otolaryngology serve as a checklist for practitioners and a quality care review tool for clinical departments. The Clinical Indicators are created by the AAO-HNS and its clinical committees. "Clinical Indicators define a basis of medical necessity for a range of procedures...their intent is to help practitioners engage in the best practices, reduce errors and improve value of care received as much as humanly possible," said Richard Waguespack, MD, Coordinator for Socioeconomic Affairs and Co-Chair of the Physician Payment Policy (3P) Workgroup that led the revision effort. "They also include procedure-specific post-operative observations, outcome issues suggested for use by institutions and surgeons, and a patient information section that physicians can use during surgical counseling." The newly updated indicators include: Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, Nasal Endoscopy, Canalith Repositioning, Tonsillectomy, Adenoidectomy, and Adentonsillectomy, Septoplasty, Adenoidectomy, Laryngoscope/ Nasopharyngoscopy, Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Pediatric, and Neck Dissection. These indicators are intended as suggestions, not rules, and should be modified by users when deemed medically necessary based on clinical judgment and expertise.