The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased significantly worldwide in recent years, and it has become one of the top ten malignant tumors. The relevant guidelines for thyroid cancer have been formulated one after another. Surgery is an important method for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Standardized surgery can effectively improve the prognosis and quality of life, while inappropriate treatment will increase the risk of recurrence and reduce the survival rate. In 2022, the first domestic guideline for thyroid cancer covering all pathological types, “CACA Guidelines for Holistic Integrative Management of Thyroid Cancer” was officially released. Compared with the previous guidelines, the recommendations of the CACA guidelines are more in line with China’s national conditions, focusing on the integration of multidisciplinary resources, and minimizing the risk of complications while ensuring the treatment effect.
ObjectiveExplore the impact of a digital-intelligence-based quality control platform for thyroid cancer on the effectiveness of clinical diagnosis and treatment quality management. MethodsThe digital-intelligence-based quality control platform for thyroid cancer at Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital was launched at the end of July 2022. In its initial phase, six quality control indicators related to the standardized diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer were deployed. This study analyzed the changes in these six quality control indicators between January 2022 and November 2023, comparing data before and after the platform’s implementation. ResultsCompared with the period from January to July 2022 (prior to the platform’s launch), the rates of preoperative cytopathological examination (t=–8.490, P<0.001) and postoperative pTNM staging for thyroid cancer patients (t=–3.027, P=0.013) increased from July to November 2023 (one year post-launch). However, the proportion of minimally invasive surgeries among thyroid cancer patients (t=4.085, P=0.002) decreased. The linear regression model results indicated that, following the platform’s launch, there was a gradual increase over time in both the preoperative cytopathological examination rate for thyroid cancer (standard β=0.765, P=0.001) and the postoperative pTNM staging rate (standard β=0.499, P=0.049). ConclusionPreliminary results of this study suggest that the thyroid cancer digital-intelligence-based quality control platform developed by our team can effectively enhance the standardized quality control of clinical diagnosis and treatment for thyroid cancer.