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Understanding long-term outcomes requires prospective data collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2017

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Abstract

Type
Editorial
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2017 

The rise of ‘big data’ in medical research, including genetics, should help us understand more fully the natural history and prevalence of disorders and what can be expected from our interventions, and so help us counsel our patients. Obtaining data for accreditation and revalidation purposes is a bonus, but of secondary importance. Agreement on what data need to be collected prospectively for audit, research, billing and outcomes is not easy, and is compounded by communication difficulties between clinicians and administrative coding staff. This Journal of Laryngology & Otology issue contains an article that looks at septal surgery and nasal trauma patients, and the experience of a team who liaised closely with their coding team to identify and correct problems in communication and resulting errors.Reference Nouraei, Hudovsky, Virk and Saleh 1 The problems identified are likely to be widely applicable, not just to this patient group or this institution. This study complements articles in recent issues on the efficacy of common ENT proceduresReference Seymour 2 and wide data collection on quinsy management. 3

Myringoplasty outcomes nationally and in local centres has been a prominent topic in recent Journal editions.Reference Phillips, Yung and Nunney 4 , Reference Carr, Strachan and Raine 5 This month's issue contains an article investigating revision myringoplasty outcomes.Reference Prinsley 6 It showed that revision surgery and primary surgery had similar outcomes in that particular centre, which was helpful in that hospital when counselling patients pre-operatively.

Voice and swallowing problems in patients with Parkinson's disease crop up in the clinic occasionally, but the literature contains few sizeable series. This issue reports on a series of 13 patients from a tertiary voice clinic in Lewisham, which provides the basis for a strategy to help these often-neglected patients.Reference Gibbins, Awad, Harris and Aymat 7

Epistaxis is a major reason for acute admission to ENT wards, and the rise of anti-coagulation use in the management of cardiac disorders has exacerbated the problem. The article by Flood and colleagues in this issue examines every aspect of the evidence in relation to the use of endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation,Reference Ellinas, Jervis, Kenyon and Flood 8 which has become a mainstay of treatment, albeit with some variation in indications and in treatment algorithms. This analysis complements views from other recent Journal contributions on the topic.Reference Hall, Blanchford, Chatrath and Hopkins 9 , Reference Fox, Nash, Liu and Singh 10 A forthcoming Journal ‘virtual issue’ will focus on epistaxis.

References

1 Nouraei, SA, Hudovsky, A, Virk, J, Saleh, HA. Impact of developing a multidisciplinary coded dataset standard on administrative data accuracy for septoplasty, septorhinoplasty and nasal trauma surgery. J Laryngol Otol 2017;131:341–6Google Scholar
2 Seymour, N. How effective are common ENT operations? J Laryngol Otol 2015;129:622–6Google Scholar
3 ENT Trainee Research Collaborative—West Midlands. National prospective cohort study of peritonsillar abscess management and outcomes: the Multicentre Audit of Quinsies study. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:768–76Google Scholar
4 Phillips, JS, Yung, MW, Nunney, I. Myringoplasty outcomes in the UK. J Laryngol Otol 2015;129:860–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5 Carr, SD, Strachan, DR, Raine, CH. Factors affecting myringoplasty success. J Laryngol Otol 2015;129:23–6Google Scholar
6 Prinsley, P. Results of revision myringoplasty: are they different to primary myringoplasty? J Laryngol Otol 2017;131:316–8Google Scholar
7 Gibbins, N, Awad, R, Harris, S, Aymat, A. The diagnosis, clinical findings and treatment options for Parkinson's disease patients attending a tertiary referral voice clinic. J Laryngol Otol 2017;131:357–62Google Scholar
8 Ellinas, A, Jervis, P, Kenyon, G, Flood, LM. Endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation for acute idiopathic epistaxis. Does anatomical variation and a limited evidence base raise questions regarding its place in management? J Laryngol Otol 2017;131:290–7Google Scholar
9 Hall, AC, Blanchford, H, Chatrath, P, Hopkins, C. A multi-centre audit of epistaxis management in England: is there a case for a national review of practice? J Laryngol Otol 2015;129:454–7Google Scholar
10 Fox, R, Nash, R, Liu, ZW, Singh, A. Epistaxis management: current understanding amongst junior doctors. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:252–5Google Scholar