PA.DS Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Our group is going to be starting a nodule clinic in the near future. We will hopefully be the first in our area to do so! I am trying to gather information from other providers to determine the most efficient way to track patients. Does anyone have any experience in this area and would be willing to share how they track patient follow ups exams based on nodule characteristics, size, etc? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrsmurf Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I am confused as to why someone needs a clinic for this? Can't the pcp just rescan every x months (or go by radiologist recommendations)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 27, 2014 Moderator Share Posted February 27, 2014 some need bronch and biopsy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David the Nome Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Are you with a pulmonary group or primary care? I am in a major city, but my experience has been that nodules are referred to pulmonology with CT surveillance every so often and possible Bx based on growth. If nodules stable for 2 years then considered benign. The tricky part is when your following a nodule and it turns out to be stable but somewhere in the "surveillance" period new nodules showed up and then your following the "new nodules" for another two years and sometimes the cycle goes on and on. The other question is whether there's enlarged nodes or not in which case sometimes a mediastinoscopy is done for diagnostic as well as staging purposes rather than a lung Bx.. Again, I'd be interested to know what field your in to be doing a nodule clinic. Imaging of the chest is pretty cool I think but following nodules day in day out might become very tedious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA.DS Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 I am in Pulmonology. As for the patient tracking, the size, growth, solid vs non-solid, high risk vs low risk patients have different follow up parameters. This is where I am trying to find an easy way to track what they fall into and when they need to return. I was inquiring if there is a program available that has an algorithm that can be used. This is for a one day a week "clinic" in an outpatient pulmonology office. Not an everyday thing but the practice had 50,000 patients and 30,000 are smokers who qualify for the screening so the number of potential patients for the "clinic" could be significant. Yes they can just be followed by radiology but this is something we would like to have some control over. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMD16 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 If it's for research purposes or major journal publication. Your name better be on it. Don't just collect data for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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