Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK.
J Laryngol Otol. 2024 Mar;138(3):321-324. doi: 10.1017/S0022215123001238. Epub 2023 Jul 5.
During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, ENT-UK recommended a move from face-to-face clinics to telephone appointments. This study reviewed the safety of telephone clinics for urgent two-week-wait cancer referrals.
Patients consulted in telephone clinics between April and November 2020 were identified from an electronic database. Study patients included those diagnosed with malignant disease at six months. The Head and Neck Cancer Risk Calculator version 2 score, outcome of the initial clinic and final diagnoses were reviewed.
A total of 1062 patients were triaged in clinic; 9.2 per cent ( = 98) were diagnosed with cancer at 6 months. Of these 98 patients, 69 received an urgent face-to-face appointment, 26 underwent urgent scans and 3 had a delayed telephone review. Twenty patients (20.4 per cent) diagnosed with cancer had a low-risk Head and Neck Cancer Risk Calculator score.
The late diagnosis rate of 0.28 per cent suggests a small proportion of cancer could have been missed. Telephone clinics, whilst a pragmatic means to maintain patient flow during the pandemic, could result in late diagnoses.
在 2019 冠状病毒病大流行期间，英国耳鼻喉科协会建议将面对面诊所改为电话预约。本研究回顾了紧急两周期等待癌症转诊电话诊所的安全性。
从电子数据库中确定了 2020 年 4 月至 11 月期间在电话诊所就诊的患者。研究患者包括在六个月内被诊断为恶性疾病的患者。回顾了头颈部癌症风险计算器版本 2 评分、初始诊所的结果和最终诊断。
共有 1062 名患者在诊所进行了分诊；9.2%（98 名）在 6 个月时被诊断为癌症。在这 98 名患者中，69 人接受了紧急面对面预约，26 人进行了紧急扫描，3 人进行了延迟电话复查。20 名（20.4%）被诊断为癌症的患者头颈部癌症风险计算器评分低。
迟诊率为 0.28%，提示可能有一小部分癌症漏诊。电话诊所虽然是在大流行期间维持患者流量的一种务实手段，但可能导致迟诊。
