Media reporting of health interventions in New Zealand: a retrospective analysis.

AIM: To evaluate New Zealand media articles on their coverage of key issues regarding health interventions and whether it is consistent with available evidence. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out of all articles published in five New Zealand media sources over a 6-week period between 15 October and 26 November 2014. Articles were included if their primary focus was on health interventions involving medications, devices or in-hospital procedures. Articles were assessed for coverage of key issues using previously validated 10-point criteria. A literature review was performed to compare content with scientific evidence. RESULTS: We identified 30 articles for review. Only 4 of 30 articles covered indications, benefits and risks, and of these, two were consistent with available evidence (7%, 95% CI 1%-22%). For articles that discussed at least one of indications, benefits or risks, and there was corresponding evidence available, there was a high level of consistency with the evidence (89%, 95% CI 77%-95%). The overall mean value of coverage from the 10-point criteria was 51% (95% CI 45%-58%). Single questions regarding the potential harm, costs associated with the intervention and the availability of alternative options were particularly poorly covered. They were rated as 'satisfactory' in 13%, 23% and 33% of the 30 articles respectively. CONCLUSION: New Zealand news articles covering medical treatments and interventions are largely consistent with available evidence but are incomplete. Vital information is being consistently missed, especially around the potential harms and costs of medical interventions.

Quality measures in cervical lymphadenectomy for cutaneous malignancy by head and neck trained general surgeons.

AIM: Therapeutic lymphadenectomy remains the gold standard for surgical management of clinically evident regional cervical disease for cutaneous malignancy. However, international consensus on adequate lymphadenectomy is lacking. Attempts have been made to establish quality measures; suggested benchmarks for minimum and average nodal yield, as well as recurrence and complication rates have been quoted. We aim to compare our key performance indicators to those benchmarks published in the literature. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study conducted with prospectively maintained data, over an 11-year period (2007-2018). RESULTS: Of 91 cervical lymphadenectomies included, mean nodal yield for ≤3 and ≥4 dissection levels were 19.7 and 38.7 respectively. We observed a combined locoregional recurrence rate of 25%. Subgroup analysis for melanoma (60) and cSCC (28) revealing regional nodal recurrence of 15% and 11%, respectively. We observed a 38.5% complication rate; however, less than 5.5% was considered grade IIIb/IIIb(d) [Clavein-Dindo]. Median follow-up of 19.3 months, five-year survivial rate of 38% and 32% for melanoma and cSCC, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data indicates that we are meeting quality measures, set by higher volume centres. We believe that any surgeon with subspecialty training in head and neck surgery can meet quality measures with regards to cervical lymphadenopathy for cutaneous malignancy.