BackTable / ENT / Podcast / Episode #70
Quality in Otolaryngology: Why Is It Important to You?
with Dr. Marc Bennett
In this episode of BackTable ENT, Dr. Gopi Shah and Dr. Kutz interview Dr. Marc Bennett, a Vanderbilt University ENT professor, about the importance of quality improvement, and initiatives and tips for quality initiative research.
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BackTable, LLC (Producer). (2022, September 13). Ep. 70 – Quality in Otolaryngology: Why Is It Important to You? [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.backtable.com
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Podcast Contributors
Dr. Marc Bennett
Dr. Marc Bennett is an otolaryngologyst and a Vanderbilt University ENT professor.
Dr. Joe Walter Kutz
Dr. Joe Walter Kutz is a neurotologist and Professor of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX.
Dr. Gopi Shah
Dr. Gopi Shah is a pediatric otolaryngologist and the co-host of BackTable ENT.
Synopsis
First, Dr. Bennett delineates his path to quality improvement research and education. His father was involved in quality improvement in the pharmaceutical industry, and he was always interested in systems-based improvement. Additionally, he was encouraged by a mentor to find a niche outside of clinical medicine.
Next, the doctors discuss collaboration with hospitals and medical schools to encourage more quality improvement initiatives. For enticing hospital systems to care about quality initiatives, Dr. Bennett recommends showing them that administrative data is very important for financial and billing reasons as well as hospital rankings, which are important to patients and the public. Additionally, he encourages medical school lecturers and residency directors to incorporate quality improvement projects and measures in their trainee curriculums. For students and residents with a vested interest in quality improvement, identifying a mentor and starting with a simple project is the best way to explore the research field.
Next, Dr. Bennett discusses important aspects of quality improvement research. First, he highlights the importance of using run charts to compare mortality and complications across populations over time. Run charts can be further analyzed to see differences between different providers, statistical significance, and outliers. When collecting data from electronic health records, he collaborates with billing departments in order to identify relevant CPT codes. He also notes that the AAO-HNSF collects self-reported data from individual institutions as well. Then, he uses data analysis programs like Vizient and Leapfrog to organize and interpret data.
Finally, Dr. Bennett shares how otolaryngologists can improve quality of care in their everyday practice, most notably through proper documentation. He discusses the pros and cons of using dot phrases and emphasizes the importance of standardization of format and coding.
Resources
Vizient:
https://www.vizientinc.com/
Leapfrog:
https://www.leapfroggroup.org/
Disclaimer: The Materials available on BackTable.com are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.