Current Controversies in Otolaryngology: Do Masks Matter? A Pro/Con Debate (AMW) Session
2021 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Experience
As practicing otolaryngologists, we must critically consume medical information. With the onset of the COVID pandemic, the information surrounding safe and effective provision of care has been overwhelming in its volume and speed of change. Additionally, there are political, social, and other pressures outside of medicine that have led to challenges in understanding best practices. The concept for this panel grew out of an interesting debate that was happening via the ENTCONNECT discussion board on the utility of mask usage in Otolaryngology clinics. The overarching goal of this panel will be to expand that debate with attendees able to hear a balanced presentation with time for questions. This panel discussion will start with an overview of general principles when assessing the literature. Most of the panel will be a pro versus con debate surrounding the issue of face mask use during the pandemic and the ability of mask wearing to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The panelists will also consider how the vaccination efforts and related public health efforts inform this dialogue. The guidelines of the debate will be the respectful interchange of information with equal time being given to each side. Although mask wearing has been associated with many political, economic, and social issues, the primary focus of this panel will be limited to the medical literature.
Description
Learning Objective: 1. Improve the ability of attendees to be effective consumers of knowledge and critically assess information from various sources. 2. Understand the role played by Otolaryngologists in particular and physicians in general to the dissemination of public health messaging. 3. Apply historical and contemporary evidence on viral transmission to the current controversy around mask-wearing. Faculty: Carol Bier-Laning, MD(Nothing to Disclose), Soham Roy, MD, MMM, FACS, FAAP(Nothing to Disclose), Michael Brenner, MD, FACS(Nothing to Disclose), Robert McLean (Nothing to Disclose).