1. Expanding access to team-based care
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Release date:
- Style: Presentation (information provided to audience, with opportunity for audience to ask question)
- Focus: Practical (e.g. Presentation on how to implement programs and/or practices in the team environment)
- Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.), Clinical providers
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn:
- Understand the evolving epidemiology of head and neck cancer and its effect of the prevalence and etiology of cervical lymphadenopathy (CL) in adults for primary care providers
- Review the features in the patient history and physical examination that make a malignant diagnosis more likely
- Review the options for radiographic and laboratory investigation of patients with CL
- Review the different options for pathologic diagnosis and the strengths and weaknesses of these options
- Review appropriate referral pathways once a pathologic diagnosis has been made in patients with CL
Summary/Abstract
In this presentation, a structured approach to cervical lymphadenopathy (CLA) in adults within Ontario’s healthcare system, specifically focusing on the role of primary care providers, will be discussed. The “Cervical Lymphadenopathy in Adults Pathway Map” is a clinical tool designed to streamline the diagnostic process, guiding effective identification, assessment, and management of adult patients presenting with CL. This pathway map aims to reduce unnecessary referrals to specialists, optimize the use of healthcare resources, and improve patient outcomes by providing guidance on when and how to investigate cervical lymphadenopathy. The presentation highlights certain highly debated decision points and the various expert perspectives in the care of patients along the pathway. The goal of the map is to enhance the consistency of care across Ontario, enabling quicker and more accurate diagnoses while reducing wait times and healthcare costs. By integrating this pathway into primary care practices, it has the potential to transform how cervical lymphadenopathy is managed, leading to a more streamlined approach for the healthcare system and most importantly, patients.
Presenters
- Dr. Michael Odell, Assistant Professor and Vice-Chair Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Ottawa; Head and Neck Cancer Lead, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)