Diagnostic, therapeutic and health-care management protocol in thyroid surgery: a position statement of the Italian Association of Endocrine Surgery Units (U.E.C. CLUB)

Abstract

members, via e-mail, in the elaboration phase; all the participants of the XI National Congress of the U.E.C. CLUB held in Naples in the final phase. The following were examined: diagnostic pathway and clinical evaluation; mode of admission and waiting time; therapeutic pathway (patient preparation for surgery, surgical treatment, postoperative management, management of major complications); hospital discharge and patient information; outpatient care and follow-up. Results A clear and concise style was adopted to illustrate the reasons and scientific rationales behind behaviors and to provide health-care professionals with a guide as complete AbstractPurpose The diagnostic, therapeutic and health-care management protocol (Protocollo Gestionale DiagnosticoTerapeutico-Assistenziale, PDTA) by the Association of the Italian Endocrine Surgery Units (U.E.C. CLUB) aims to help treat the patient in a topical, rational way that can be shared by health-care professionals. Methods This fourth consensus conference involved: a selected group of experts in the preliminary phase; all Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article

Efficacy of a clinical pathway for patients with thyroid cancer

“…19,20 In 2016, the Italian Association of Endocrine Surgery Units published a healthcare management protocol that included therapeutic pathways regarding preparation for surgery, surgical treatment, postoperative management, and hospital discharge. 21 However, this protocol should be regarded as a management guideline rather than a clinical pathway, which has time frames or criteria-based progression. In this context, we developed a clinical pathway for patients with thyroid cancer, reflecting the current evidence-based best practices.…”

Patient satisfaction after thyroid RFA versus surgery for benign thyroid nodules: a telephone survey

“…It must be noted that in the RFA group, complications were classified according to the criteria defined by the Society of Interventional Radiology [20], where major complications are events that lead to substantial morbidity and disability that increase the level of care and all other complications are considered minor. Given that surgical complications are not usually classified like those that follow RFA [21,22], we compared the rate of overall complications between the groups. The protocol of this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Azienda Ospedaliera -Ospedali Riuniti di Trieste [14], and all patients had given written informed consent prior to the procedures.…”

Preoperative management in patients with Graves’ disease

“…As regards the planning of surgery treatment, in the recent Consensus statement of the Italian Association of Endocrine Surgery Units (24), the waiting time for hospital admission is established within three months ("intermediate" priority) for hyperthyroidism unresponsive to medical treatment, and within twelve months ("low" priority) in stabilized hyperthyroid benign disease. In the event of coexisting suspicious or indeterminate nodules (nodular variant of Graves' disease), the priority level should be "intermediate" (24).…”