The state tobacco settlement: where do we stand?

This paper reviews the history of the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement and updates readers on the states' use of the resultant monetary windfall for tobacco prevention and cessation activities. It further defines mechanisms for otorhinolaryngology (ORL) nurses' political and social activism regarding tobacco issues.

Pathways for head and neck surgery: a patient-education tool.

Surgical treatment for head and neck cancer includes a variety of complex operative procedures. Patients scheduled for these operations often are presented with overwhelming amounts of information. Even after participating in the multidisciplinary, preoperative teaching process, they may be unable to fully comprehend the treatment plan. Pathways for head and neck surgery were designed to facilitate the patient- and family-education process and assist the patient in navigating through the surgical experience. This article discusses head and neck surgery pathway development, implementation, and outcome evaluation.