American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation
View all recommendations from this societyReleased February 21, 2013
Don’t obtain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a primary complaint of hoarseness prior to examining the larynx.
Examination of the larynx with mirror or fiberoptic scope is the primary method for evaluating patients with hoarseness. Imaging is unnecessary in most patients and is both costly and has potential for radiation exposure. After laryngoscopy, evidence supports the use of imaging to further evaluate 1) vocal fold paralysis, or 2) a mass or lesion of the larynx.
These items are provided solely for informational purposes and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a medical professional. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their physician.
How The List Was Created
1-5: The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery’s (AAO-HNS) Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQI) Committee was charged with developing the Foundation’s recommendations for the Choosing Wisely® campaign. The PSQI Committee initially sought the input of the Specialty Society Advisory Council (SSAC) and requested each member society submit potential topics along with supporting evidence. From those submissions, an initial list of 20 items was distributed to Academy and Foundation committees and the Guidelines Development Task Force (GDTF) for review.
PSQI Committee leadership reviewed feedback from the committees and identified six potential recommendations for inclusion in the campaign. The six topics were selected based on their supporting evidence (for example, clinical practice guidelines), committee support, and the current use (frequency) of the test or procedure. The members of SSAC ranked the six topics, and the top five topics were submitted to the Foundation board for approval.
6–10: The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation’s (AAO-HNSF) Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQI) Committee was charged with developing a second AAO-HNSF list. The PSQI Committee sought the input of the Specialty Society Advisory Council (SSAC) and requested each member society submit a list of potential topics along with supporting evidence. From the submissions received, an initial list of proposed topics was developed and distributed to Academy and Foundation committees and the Guidelines Development Task Force (GDTF) for review. Committees were asked to provide their support for any of the proposed topics, reasons why a topic should not be included, as well as identifying any additional topics for consideration along with supporting evidence.
PSQI Committee leadership reviewed all submitted feedback and identified seven potential topics for inclusion in the campaign. The seven topics were selected based on their supporting evidence (for example, AAO-HNSF clinical practice guidelines), committee support, and the current use (frequency) of the test or procedure. The members of SSAC were asked to rank the seven topics; the seven topics were submitted to the AAO-HNSF Board for approval and the top five were submitted to the Choosing Wisely campaign.
AAO-HNS’ disclosure and conflict of interest policy can be found at www.entnet.org.
Sources
Schwartz SR, Cohen SM, Dailey SH, Rosenfeld RM, Deutsch ES, Gillespie MB, Granieri E, Hapner ER, Kimball CE, Krouse HJ, McMurray JS, Medina S, O’Brien K, Ouellette DR, Messinger-Rapport BJ, Stachler RJ, Strode S, Thompson DM, Stemple JC, Willging JP, Cowley T, McCoy S, Bernad PG, Patel MM. Clinical practice guideline: Hoarseness (dysphonia). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg [Internet]. 2009 Sep [cited 2012 Oct 18];141(3 Suppl 2):S1-S31.
