Position Statements
If you would like the Academy to consider drafting a Position Statement on a particular topic or are interested in revising an existing Position Statement, please submit details about the topic and your concerns at healthpolicy@entnet.org. Academy staff will route your message to the appropriate Committee Chair(s) for consideration.
If you are interested in drafting a new Position Statement, please review the guidance document.
For additional details on the definition and purpose of Position Statements in comparison to other resources like Clinical Practice Guidelines, please see the AAO-HNS/F Guidance Documents.
After an extensive review process by Academy Committees and the Physician Payment Policy (3P) Workgroup, the Executive Committee recently approved the following position statements:
- Ranitidine New 11/10/2020
- Cochlear Implants Updated 11/10/2020
- Evaluation Prior to Hearing Aid Fitting Updated 11/10/2020
- Tonsil and Adenoid Surgery Updated 8/11/2020
- Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Updated 8/11/2020
- Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis and Gardasil Vaccination New 7/14/2020
- Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology Subcertification (co-authored and endorsed by ABOHNS, AAO-HNS, ASPO) New 6/9/2020
- Evidence-Based Medicine Revised 6/9/2020
- Communicable Diseases Revised 6/9/2020
- International Surgical Sleep Society COVID-19 Adult and Pediatric Practice Guidelines New 5/12/2020
- Essential Pediatric Hearing Evaluation and the COVID-19 Pandemic New 5/12/2020
- Pediatric Cochlear Implantation Candidacy New 4/15/2020
- Scope of Radiologic Training and Interpretation of Paranasal Imaging by Otolaryngologists New 4/15/2020
- Tracheotomy Recommendations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Revised 4/2/2020
- Otolaryngologists and the COVID-19 Pandemic New 3/23/2020
- Ranitidine New 11/10/2020
Additional Information
Active Middle Ear Implants
Bone Conduction Hearing Devices
CDC Immunization Recommendations for Cochlear Implant Patients
Cochlear Implants Revised 11/2020
Disorders of the Equilibrium and Drivers Licensing Boards
Electrocochleography
Evaluation Prior to Hearing Aid Fitting Revised 11/2020
Hearing Aids
Infant Hearing
Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring in Otologic Surgery
In-Office Placement of Tubes in Pediatric Patients While Awake
Management of Otosclerosis
Medical Role in Cerumen Removal
Micropressure Therapy
Middle-Ear Ventilation Tube Placement
Minimal Test Battery for Cochlear Implants
Otology / Neurotology
Ototoxicity
Pediatric Habilitation Following Cochlear Implantation
Posturography
Red Flags - Warning of Ear Disease
Rotational (Rotary) Chair Testing
Vestibular Myogenic Potential (VEMP) Testing
Vestibular Rehabilitation
Ambulatory Procedures
Choice of Physicians
Collaborative Relationships With Industry
Communicable Diseases
Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology Subcertification (co-authored and endorsed by ABOHNS, AAO-HNS, ASPO) New 6/9/2020
Delineation of Hospital Privileges
e-cigarettes - NEW 11/2019
Evidence Based MedicineHumanitarian Photography
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination for Prevention of HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer
Industry Representatives in the Operating Room
Medical Liability
Otolaryngologists and the COVID-19 Pandemic NEW 3/23/2020
Patient Physician Covenant
Performance Measures
Pay-for-Performance
Reimbursement for Taking Hospital Call
Reuse of Single-Use Devices (SUD): Responsible Recycling of Medical Instrumentation
Scope of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Scope of Practice of Non-Physician Providers
Second Surgical Opinions
Tobacco Use and Secondhand Smoke
Use of Animals in Research
Use of the Term Doctor in Advertising and Patient Communications
Utilization Review
Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) REVISED 11/2019
Midline Glossectomy for OSAS
Nasal Surgery and OSAS
Submucosal Ablation of the Tongue Base for OSAS
Surgical Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Tongue Suspension
Tongue Based Procedures
Tonsillectomy and OSAS
Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Use of Oral Appliances for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) REVISED 11/2019
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty - REVISED 01/2019
Flexible Endoscopic Examinations of Swallowing (FEES)
Foreign Bodies of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract
In-Office Photoangiolytic Laser Treatment of Laryngeal Pathology
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
Laryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy
Performance and Interpretation of Laryngeal Videostroboscopy
Roles of Flexible Laryngoscopy / Videostroboscopy
Tracheotomy Recommendations During the COVID-19 Pandemic REVISED 4/2/2020
Voice Therapy in the Treatment of Dysphonia
Important Disclaimer Notice
Position statements are approved by the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery or Foundation (AAO-HNS/F) Boards of Directors and are typically generated from AAO-HNS/F committees. Once approved by the Academy or Foundation Board of Directors, they become official position statements and are added to the existing position statement library. In no sense do they represent a standard of care. The applicability of position statements, as guidance for a procedure, must be determined by the responsible physician in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient. Adherence to these clinical position statements will not ensure successful treatment in every situation. As with all AAO-HNS/F guidance, this position statement should not be deemed inclusive of all proper treatment decisions or methods of care, nor exclusive of other treatment decisions or methods of care reasonably directed to obtaining the same results. Position statements are not intended to and should not be treated as legal, medical, or business advice.