ArticleCureus2026
Implementation and Evaluation of a Risk-Stratified Nurse-Led Thyroid Cancer Follow-Up Clinic: A Single-Centre Retrospective Service Evaluation.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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1 author.
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Abstract
backgroundPost-treatment surveillance for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) can extend for many years, contributing to increasing outpatient follow-up workload. Risk-stratified models that delegate selected low-risk follow-up to nurse-led clinics may improve sustainability if delivered within a robust governance framework.
methodsWe undertook a single-centre retrospective service evaluation in a UK district general hospital to assess the implementation and safety of a nurse-led, risk-stratified thyroid cancer follow-up pathway. The evaluation period was July 14, 2020, to February 13, 2026. Sixty eligible low-risk DTC patients were analysed as a random sample: 30 follow-up encounters managed in a consultant-led clinic and 30 managed in a nurse-led clinic. A structured follow-up proforma standardised documentation of red flag symptom screening, wound assessment, voice assessment, and biochemical review (including calcium/parathyroid hormone where clinically indicated), and defined escalation criteria to consultant review.
resultsIn the nurse-led cohort, one patient required escalation for assessment of a submandibular swelling, with subsequent review confirming reactive lymphadenitis and return to the nurse-led pathway. The escalation proportion was 3.3% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.6%-16.7%. No missed malignancies, unplanned readmissions, or safety incidents were identified during the evaluation. Protocol compliance across safety domains in the nurse-led cohort was 100%.
conclusionA governance-supported nurse-led thyroid cancer follow-up clinic for appropriately selected low-risk DTC patients can be delivered safely, with high protocol compliance and low escalation rates, supporting sustainable outpatient service redesign.
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