[Quality assurance in ENT tumor surgery]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Healthcare Quality Management
• Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Background:

• Quality control is crucial in head and neck oncology for patient care.
• Germany lacks a formal quality assurance program for head and neck cancer patients.
• A survey assessed current quality assurance practices in German otorhinolaryngology-head and neck (ORL-HNS) centers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the existing quality assurance instruments in German ORL-HNS departments.
• To identify the extent of quality assurance implementation in head and neck cancer care.
• To understand the current status of interdisciplinary collaboration and follow-up procedures.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide survey was conducted among 146 German ORL-HNS departments.
• A response rate of 75% was achieved.
• Questionnaires assessed quality assurance processes, personnel, conferences, and data management.

Main Results:

• 56% of departments have dedicated quality assurance processes; 38% have a designated officer.
• Interdisciplinary oncological conferences are frequent, involving radiation oncologists (78%), medical oncologists (76%), radiologists (74%), and pathologists (66%).
• Standardized patient follow-up is common (86%), with 48% using computer-assisted databases; 71% offer formal follow-up.

Conclusions:

• There is significant interest in quality assurance within German ORL-HNS departments.
• Individual quality assurance efforts are prevalent, but a uniform system and common database are absent.
• Oncological follow-up within the social security system is deemed essential for high-quality care.