From Paper to Practice: Digitizing and Living Clinical Guidelines
Release Date: 01/20/2026
From Paper to Practice: Digitizing and Living Clinical Guidelines
Voices of Otolaryngology
Margo M. McKenna Benoit, MD, Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Chair of the AAO-HNSF Guidelines Task Force, joins Maria Michaels, MBA, PMP, Immediate Past Chair of the Guidelines International Network (GIN) North America, to explore the transformation of clinical practice guidelines from static PDFs into dynamic, real-time clinical tools. Together, they tackle a sobering reality: it takes an average of 17 years for scientific evidence to reach clinical practice. Learn how the Guidelines Task Force evaluates and prioritizes new guideline...
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Launch, Learn, and Continue: Transforming Medical Education
Voices of Otolaryngology
Vince Loffredo, EdD, Chief Learning Officer at the American Society of Anesthesiologists and future president of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, returns to discuss the rapid evolution of medical education. Learn about his innovative "launch and learn" methodology that's replacing traditional lectures, the shift to bite-sized video content, and practical strategies for engaging diverse learner audiences. Dr. Loffredo shares actionable insights on reducing PowerPoint dependency, structuring effective presentations, leveraging pre-reading materials, and creating...
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Scaling Private Practice and Shaping State Policy
Voices of Otolaryngology
Neil Hockstein, MD, Chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission and co-founder of Parallel ENT, discusses his journey from private practice otolaryngologist to healthcare policy leader. Learn about his COVID-19 response efforts, the formation of Parallel ENT, and his ambitious vision for Delaware's healthcare future, including establishing the state's first four-year medical school. Dr. Hockstein shares valuable insights on practice aggregation, private equity partnerships, and maintaining work-life balance while driving systemic healthcare change. Helpful Resources: OTO Logic Annual Meeting...
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The AAO-HNSF Journal: Breaking New Ground with Dr. Schmalbach
Voices of Otolaryngology
In this special Voices of Otolaryngology episode, recorded live in Indianapolis at the AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, host Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO, sits down with Cecelia E. Schmalbach, MD, MSc, Editor in Chief of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and OTO Open. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of academic publishing, from peer review innovation and global collaboration to the integration of artificial intelligence in research and publishing. Dr. Schmalbach shares insights into bringing the journals' editorial operations back in-house,...
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Inside the RUC: Why 30 Survey Responses Aren't Enough
Voices of Otolaryngology
In this engaging floor-recorded conversation from the AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, host Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO, sits down with R. Peter Manes, MD, associate professor of surgery (otolaryngology) at Yale School of Medicine as well as AAO-HNS/F Board member and Chair of the Academy’s Physician Payment Policy (3P) Workgroup. Together they demystify the alphabet soup of CPT, RUC, and RVUs, explaining how every otolaryngologist—academic or private—can influence reimbursement simply by completing the necessary surveys. Dr....
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Precision Head and Neck Surgery: 3D Models and Real-time Imaging
Voices of Otolaryngology
In this episode of Voices of Otolaryngology, host Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO, talks with Michael C. Topf, MD, MSCI, a head and neck surgical oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Topf shares his groundbreaking work in precision head and neck surgery, including 3D scanning of resected cancer specimens to improve communication among multidisciplinary cancer care teams. The conversation explores his innovative research on specimen-based margin assessment, the development of custom software for annotating 3D models, and his team's pioneering work with...
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Hat Trick: Global Outreach, Research, and Clinical Care
Voices of Otolaryngology
In this on-site conversation from the AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Indianapolis, host Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO, sits down with Gregory J. Basura, MD, PhD, Chair of the AAO-HNSF Humanitarian Efforts Committee. They explore the intersection of neuroscience, clinical innovation, and global humanitarian outreach—from Dr. Basura’s NIH-funded research in tinnitus neuroimaging to his transformative fellowship and capacity-building work across Africa and beyond. Listeners will hear how early mentorship inspired his lifelong commitment to global...
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The Setzens: Family, Service, and Private Practice Success
Voices of Otolaryngology
In this episode of Voices of Otolaryngology, host Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO, sits down with brothers Michael Setzen, MD, and Gavin Setzen, MD, two private practice otolaryngologists who have shaped the specialty through decades of leadership and advocacy. Both Hall of Distinction Living Legends, the Setzen brothers share their journey from South Africa to building world-renowned practices in New York. Dr. Michael Setzen reveals an unconventional approach to work-life balance: never working Fridays and dedicating that time to golf, family, and Academy service. Dr....
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Environmental Health and Otolaryngology
Voices of Otolaryngology
In this episode of Voices of Otolaryngology, host Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO, continues the conversation with Amanda Dilger, MD, and Neelima Tummala, MD, from the AAO-HNS Sustainability Task Force. Moving beyond general sustainability practices, this episode focuses on how climate change is directly affecting ENT patients—from air pollution's link to head and neck cancer, to extended pollen seasons causing more severe allergic rhinitis and wildfire smoke impacting chronic rhinosinusitis. The physicians discuss practical ways to integrate environmental health screening into...
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Research Is Incremental: Lessons from BEST ENT to Reg-ent
Voices of Otolaryngology
In this episode of Voices of Otolaryngology, Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F Executive Vice President and CEO, talks with David Witsell, MD, about the evolution of practice-based research in otolaryngology. Dr. Witsell shares the origins of BEST ENT and the CHEER network, honoring the visionary leadership of Maureen Hannley, MD, which laid the foundation for today's Reg-ent platform. The conversation explores why collaboration and standardized data are critical to advancing research and quality and presents a compelling vision for future partnerships between Reg-ent and the National...
info_outlineMargo M. McKenna Benoit, MD, Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Chair of the AAO-HNSF Guidelines Task Force, joins Maria Michaels, MBA, PMP, Immediate Past Chair of the Guidelines International Network (GIN) North America, to explore the transformation of clinical practice guidelines from static PDFs into dynamic, real-time clinical tools. Together, they tackle a sobering reality: it takes an average of 17 years for scientific evidence to reach clinical practice. Learn how the Guidelines Task Force evaluates and prioritizes new guideline topics, what makes a guideline truly "digitized" versus a traditional document, and how embedding guideline logic directly into EMR workflows can support clinicians without disrupting practice autonomy. Dr. McKenna Benoit and Michaels discuss strategies for reducing development cycle times, the concept of "living guidelines" that evolve with emerging evidence, and the role of health IT standards and AI in scaling evidence-based recommendations across healthcare systems while maintaining the scientific rigor that makes AAO-HNSF guidelines among the most cited publications in the specialty.