The role of telehealth in the delivery of oral and maxillofacial surgery services at a level 6 hospital in New South Wales Australia during COVID-19 - the John Hunter Hospital experience: a commentary, review and cautionary tale for the future.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The objective of this article is to understand the uptake in use of Telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to provide compelling impetus for further research and promotion of Telehealth in general. A data review of Outpatient Department data from 2020 to 2023, as compiled by the Surgical Outcomes improvement Unit. RECENT FINDINGS: Telehealth was widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic for clinicians to provide healthcare to patients whilst adhering to strict lockdown guidelines aimed at limiting exposure and spread of the respiratory virus. There has been minimal analysis, however, of the ethical and legal implications of telemedicine. Whilst it seems that access to care is improved via telehealth, there are subtle, inherent barriers intrinsic to it. SUMMARY: There was a significant increase in the use of audio and audiovisual aids in the delivery of Oral and Maxillofacial Outpatient care during the COVID-19 period. Further analysis and improvements need to be made to the system before it can be considered as sufficient and adequate. Where there is rapid adoption of Telehealth in the delivery of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Services, there must be concurrent rigorous review and update of systems in order to address the key areas of patient safety and accuracy of treatment.

Protocol paper for SMART OPS: Shared decision-making Multidisciplinary Approach - a Randomised controlled Trial in the Older adult Population considering Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The Australian population presenting with surgical pathology is becoming older, frailer and more comorbid. Shared decision-making is rapidly becoming the gold standard of care for patients considering high-risk surgery to ensure that appropriate, value-based healthcare decisions are made. Positive benefits around patient perception of decision-making in the immediacy of the decision are described in the literature. However, short-term and long-term holistic patient-centred outcomes and cost implications for the health service require further examination to better understand the full impact of shared decision-making in this population. METHODS: We propose a novel multidisciplinary shared decision-making model of care in the perioperative period for patients considering high-risk surgery in the fields of general, vascular and head and neck surgery. We assess it in a two arm prospective randomised controlled trial. Patients are randomised to either 'standard' perioperative care, or to a multidisciplinary (surgeon, anaesthetist and end-of-life care nurse practitioner or social worker) shared decision-making consultation. The primary outcome is decisional conflict prior to any surgical procedure occurring. Secondary outcomes include the patient's treatment choice, how decisional conflict changes longitudinally over the subsequent year, patient-centred outcomes including life impact and quality of life metrics, as well as morbidity and mortality. Additionally, we will report on healthcare resource use including subsequent admissions or representations to a healthcare facility up to 1 year. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (2019/ETH13349). Study findings will be presented at local and national conferences and within scientific research journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12619001543178.

Comparison of postoperative complications in early versus delayed tracheostomy decannulation in patients undergoing oral cancer surgery with microvascular reconstruction.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of early and delayed tracheostomy decannulation protocols on the length of stay, time to oral feeding and incidence of postoperative complications in patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction for oral cancer. A review of all patients who underwent surgical management of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) over the study period from 01/07/2017 to 31/06/2021 was performed. Patients who underwent elective tracheostomy as part of their microvascular reconstruction were included. Two cohorts were identified based on distinct postoperative tracheostomy decannulation protocols; early (Within 7 days) and delayed (≥7 days). Time to oral feeding, length of stay and complication rates was determined for both groups for statistical analysis. A total of 103 patients with OSCC were included in the study. The overall complication rate was 35.9% and were more likely in node positive patients (53.7% vs 23.2%; p = 0.003) and in cases where the geniohyoid muscle complex was disrupted during tumour resection (66.7% vs 31.9%; p = 0.026). Early decannulation was significantly associated with shorter length of hospital stay (10 days vs 15 days) and earlier removal of nasogastric feeding tubes (7 vs 10 days). There was no difference in the overall complication rate between the two groups (33.3% vs 37.5%; p = 0.833). Early decannulation in appropriately selected patients is recommended as it significantly reduces the length of hospital stay and aids in early resumption of oral intake. Furthermore, this approach is not associated with increased rates of complications.

Management of dental trauma by general practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Patients who sustain dental trauma commonly present to their general practitioner (GP) or the emergency department, especial-ly to seek help after hours. It is important, therefore, for medical practitioners to correctly diagnose and manage these patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to familiarise GPs with different presentations of dental-related trauma, and a brief management plan for each condition. DISCUSSION: Time is of the utmost importance when dealing with trauma in the dentition. Initial management of dental trauma, primarily by GPs working in rural or remote areas, can have a significant impact on the prognosis of oral hard and soft tissues.