Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33355635›Full record

ArticleJAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery2020

Physician Confidence in Neck Ultrasonography for Surveillance of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Recurrence.

Kevin J Kovatch, David Reyes-Gastelum, Jennifer A Sipos, Elaine M Caoili, Ann S Hamilton, Kevin C Ward, Megan R Haymart

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Guideline
  2. Comparison betweenQuantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2026
    Article
  3. What Is New in the 2025 American Thyroid Association's Guidelines on Thyroid Cancer?Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists · 2025
    Article
  4. Use of Neck Ultrasound as Surveillance in Older Adults With Thyroid Cancer.Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists · 2025
    Article
  5. Team-Based Care for Thyroid Cancer: What Is the Role of the Primary Care Physician?Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists · 2024
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Disparities in Thyroid Care.Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America · 2022
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Kevin J KovatchDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
David Reyes-GastelumDivision of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Jennifer A SiposDepartment of Endocrinology, The Ohio State University, Columbus.
Elaine M CaoiliDepartment of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Ann S HamiltonDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Kevin C WardDepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Megan R HaymartDivision of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor · USEmory University · USThe Ohio State University · USUniversity of Southern California · USVanderbilt University · US

Funding

Treatment decision making in low-risk thyroid cancerR01CA201198 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI HAYMART, MEGAN RIST · 2016 to 2019
$2.4M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA201198
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

importanceNeck ultrasonography, a mainstay of long-term surveillance for recurrence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), is routinely used by endocrinologists, general surgeons, and otolaryngologists; however, physician confidence in their ability to use ultrasonography to identify lymph nodes suggestive of cancer recurrence remains unknown.

objectiveTo evaluate physicians' posttreatment surveillance practices for DTC recurrence, specifically their use of and confidence in ultrasonography. DESIGN, SETTING, AND

participantsCross-sectional study of 448 physicians in private and academic hospitals who completed a survey on DTC posttreatment practices from October 2018 to August 2019 (response rate, 69%) and self-reported involvement in long-term surveillance for thyroid cancer recurrence. Physicians were identified by patients affiliated with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program registries in Georgia State and Los Angeles County. Of the respondents, 320 physicians who reported involvement with DTC surveillance were included in the analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Physician-reported long-term surveillance practices for DTC, including frequency of use and level of confidence in ultrasonography for detecting lymph nodes suggestive of cancer recurrence.

resultsIn the cohort of 320 physicians who reported involvement with DTC surveillance, 186 (60%) had been in practice for 10 years to less than 30 years; 209 (68%) were White; and 212 (66%) were men. The physicians included 170 (56%) endocrinologists, 67 (21%) general surgeons, and 75 (23%) otolaryngologists. Just 84 (27%) physicians reported personally performing bedside ultrasonography. Only 57 (20%) had high confidence (rated quite or extremely confident) in their ability to use bedside ultrasonography to identify lymph nodes suggestive of recurrence; 94 (33%) did not report high confidence in either their ability or a radiologist's ability to use ultrasonography to detect recurrence. Higher confidence in ultrasonography was associated with the general surgery subspecialty (odds ratio [OR], 5.7; 95% CI, 2.2-14.4; reference endocrinology) and with treating a higher number of patients per year (>50 patients: OR, 14.4; 95% CI, 4.4-47.4; 31-50 patients: OR, 8.4; 95% CI, 2.6-26.7; 11-30 patients: OR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.5-12.1; reference 0-10 patients). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Given the importance of neck ultrasonography in long-term surveillance for thyroid cancer, these findings of physicians' low confidence in their own ability and that of radiologists to use ultrasonography to detect recurrence point to a major obstacle to standardizing long-term DTC surveillance practices.

Identifiers

PMID33355635
PMCPMC7758830
OpenAlexW3117297476

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.