Quality of life during the first 3 months following discharge after surgery for head and neck cancer: prospective evaluation.

Objective: To identify patient groups that are prone to poorer quality of life (QoL) during the first 3 months following discharge from the hospital after surgery for head and neck cancer.

Design: Prospective evaluation of the QoL of surgically treated head and neck cancer patients measured with questionnaires at discharge and at 6 weeks and 3 months after discharge.

Setting: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of the Erasmus University Medical Centre, a tertiary health care centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Impact on quality of life of a telemedicine system supporting head and neck cancer patients: a controlled trial during the postoperative period at home.

Objectives: Telemedicine applications carry the potential to enhance the quality of life of patients, but studies evaluating telemedicine applications are still scarce. The evidence regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine is limited and not yet conclusive. This study investigated whether telemedicine could be beneficial to the quality of life of cancer patients.

Involving the patient: a prospective study on use, appreciation and effectiveness of an information system in head and neck cancer care.

Objective: To determine use, appreciation and effectiveness of an electronic health information support system in head and neck (H&N) cancer care.

Design: A prospective evaluation study. The evaluated system has four different functions: (1) communication amongst health care providers and between health care providers and patients, (2) information for health care providers and patients, (3) contact with fellow sufferers and (4) monitoring of discharged patients by means of electronic questionnaires.

An extra letter, care gets better? Informing general practitioners about planned surgery for head and neck cancer.

Objective: To investigate how general practitioners (GPs) value an additional letter from the hospital. This so-called preadmission letter informs the GP about planned surgery for head and neck cancer in one of their patients.

Design: Prospective survey among GPs by means of a questionnaire attached to the preadmission letter.

Surgery for recurrent laryngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy: partial laryngectomy or total laryngectomy for a better quality of life?

Objective: To investigate the quality of life after partial laryngectomy versus total laryngectomy for recurrent laryngeal carcinomas after radiotherapy.

Study Design And Setting: A retrospective study performed at least one year after treatment. This study was performed in a university hospital.

An information system to support the care for head and neck cancer patients.

The potential of Information and communication technology (ICT) as a method to improve care is widely acknowledged. However, before ICT can be used in a specific patient population, the needs of that population must first be made explicit. In this paper we aim to explore the feasibility and functionality of an electronic information system to support head and neck (H&N) cancer care.