Advanced practice providers and children's hospital-based pediatric otolarynology practices.

INTRODUCTION: Advanced practice providers (APPs), including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, have been deployed in children's hospital-based academic pediatric otolaryngology practices for many years. However, this relationship in terms of prevalence, roles, financial consequences and satisfaction has not been examined. The objective of this study is to explore how APPs impact healthcare delivery in this setting. METHODS: Pediatric otolaryngology chiefs of all academic children's hospitals in the US were electronically surveyed about the ways APPs intersected clinically and financially in their respective practice. RESULTS: A total of 29 of 36 children's hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practices completed the survey, of which 26 practices (90%) utilized APP. There were large variances within the APP practice cohort in faculty size (mean/median/range = 9.4/8.5/3-29); annual patient visits (mean/median = 18,373/17,600); number of practice site (mean/median/range = 4.3/4/2-9) and number of outpatient APP (mean/median/range = 6.3/5/1-30). No factors (faculty size, annual visits and number of practice sites) differentiated between the APP and non-APP practices. Among APP practices, significant correlation (p<.00001) was observed between size of APP cohort to faculty size and annual visits. 69% of the practices did not differentiate job functions of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. 85% of the practices utilized APPs in all practice sites and 19% utilized APPs in the operating room. 77% of APPs billed independently and 46% had on-site supervision. The most prevalent APP salary bracket based on 0-5, 6-10 and > 11 years of tenure were $76-100K (65%), $100-150K (77%) and $100-150K (86%), respectively. In 46% of the practices, APPs were able to generate enough revenue to cover more than 75% of their salary and 23% of practices generated a profit. 81% of the chiefs ranked the effectiveness of APPs as high (4 and 5) on a 5-point Likert scale. DISCUSSION: The majority of academic pediatric otolaryngology practices employed APPs. Despite the diversity seen in practice complexity, APP functionality and financial impact, most found the APP model to be beneficial in improving patient care, patient access and faculty productivity.

Effectiveness and costs of sialendoscopy in pediatric patients with salivary gland disorders.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: This study aimed to characterize the common salivary gland disorders presenting in the pediatric population and to describe the diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes of sialendoscopy in this population. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study in a tertiary care pediatric medical center. METHODS: Medical records review of patients under 18 years of age who presented to pediatric otolaryngology with symptoms related to a salivary gland disorder from 2002 to 2014. RESULTS: Fifty patients were identified with an average age of 7.5 years at presentation. Eighty percent (40/50) of cases were diagnosed with juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP), and 15 underwent sialendoscopy. The other 10 (20%) patients presented with sialolithiasis. These patients had a higher average age at presentation (12.4 vs. 6.3 years), and the majority were successfully removed with sialendoscopic techniques. Juvenile recurrent parotitis patients who underwent sialendoscopy had significantly higher costs of care during the period of observation compared to those who did not have a procedure, without a statistically significant difference in outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Sialendoscopy is an effective tool for stone retrieval in pediatric sialolithiasis. Juvenile recurrent parotitis patients who underwent sialendoscopy had outcomes similar to those selected for conservative therapy, calling into question whether the substantially higher care costs can be justified. Further prospective studies addressing cost-effectiveness will help define the role of sialendoscopy in JRP. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.