Understanding Patient Perceptions of Thyroid Surgery Outcomes

Research Project Summary

Understanding Patient Perceptions of Thyroid Surgery Outcomes

Papillary Thyroid Cancer (PTC) is highly treatable with surgical intervention. However, Thyroid Surgery can result in voice changes, swallowing difficulties, or hypoparathyroidism, all of which adversely affect quality of life.

This study compared three different approaches to the surgical treatment of PTC and explored the patient experience of post-surgical recovery over time in over 80 patients.

QHRC Role

The QHRC team was involved in this project from its inception, assisting with grant writing and study design. We developed all interview guides, wrote the IRB for patient interviews, and trained interviewers to perform one-hour open-ended interviews with patients at five time points.

Over the course of the five-year R01 grant, we collaborated with the PIs in developing a comprehensive code book, trained all coders in the use of NVivo, and performed coding oversight.

QHRC trained the research team in working with qualitative data, convened writing groups, and assisted in the write-up and publication of all study results based on the interview data.

“We had almost no experience with qualitative research and the QHRC team has really been phenomenal in helping us to understand the steps and to train our team to do the work necessary.”
Rebecca Sippel, MD, FACS

Client Team

Collaborators

Rebecca Sippel, MD, FACS
Chief Division of Endocrine Surgery School of Medicine and Public Health
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nadine Connor, PhD, CCC-SLP
Professor – Department of Surgery
Division of Otolaryngology School of Medicine and Public Health
University of Wisconsin-Madison