Faster Triage of Veterans With Head and Neck Cancer.

High-risk patients with a growing mass require proper assessment, including a thorough history, physical examination, and fine-needle aspiration for diagnosis.

Consultation via telemedicine and access to operative care for patients with head and neck cancer in a Veterans Health Administration population.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a telemedicine model that utilizes an audiovisual teleconference as a preoperative visit.

Methods: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with head and neck cancer at 2 remote locations were provided access to the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs (PAVA) Health Care System otolaryngology department via the telemedicine protocol: tissue diagnosis and imaging at the patient site; data review at PAVA; and a preoperative teleconference connecting the patient to PAVA. Operative care occurred at PAVA.