J Oral Maxillofac Surg 50:925. 1992
Meeting the Challenge of Clinical Interest Groups The CIGS also could be very helpful as a resource in educational matters and in establishing research goals. Through all of these endeavors, CIGs would not only significantly increase the overall involvement of the membership in the organization, but would also stimulate renewed interest in other Association activities. Along with the potential benefits of CIGs, however, are some potential problems that need to be considered now, and again in the future as demands for new groups arise. For a CIG to be successful, the call for its establishment must come from the membership and not the leadership. There must also be a recognized need and purpose. If a CIG does not fulfill these basic requirements, it will never sustain the motivation and enthusiasm necessary for its survival. To be successful, a CIG also should not focus on a limited surgical area or be based solely on currently popular, but yet unproved, technology. Such narrowness of scope tends to produce professional bias and create vested interests that ultimately restrict the potential for future growth and development of the specialty. Another possible problem with CIGs relates to the potential for confusion between their functions and those of various Association committees. Unless the roles of each are clearly defined, there is the likelihood that similar tasks may be undertaken by both groups, resulting in a duplication of effort and a waste of volunteer time and energy. Perhaps the greatest concern with the concept of CIGs, however, is the possibility that they will foster the fractionation of oral and maxillofacial surgery into subspecialties. In a field with an already limited scope, it is questionable whether this would ever be a desirable situation. But even if recognized subspecialties are never created, there is still the possible danger that membership in a CIG would create the perception that such persons are better qualified in that particular area than are other members of the Association. While this could be true in some instances, the fact that membership in a CIG is unrestricted could lead to the even greater danger of less qualified surgeons also holding themselves out as experts. The next 2 years will represent a critical time for both the AAOMS and the Clinical Interest Groups.
For many years the AAOMS Board of Trustees has been concerned about maintaining the cohesiveness of the specialty while still providing for the diverse needs of those Fellows with special interests and concerns. This eventually resulted in the establishment of Sections on Education and Research, an action that has proved to be highly beneficial to both the section members and the Association. This month the AAOMS will expand this concept initially into the areas of anesthesia, temporomandibular disorders, implantology, and maxillofacial cosmetic surgery with the formation of what will be known as Clinical Interest Groups (CIGs). These groups, which will be evaluated over a 2-year trial period, are designed to provide Fellows with special interest in these fields a forum in which they can share knowledge and experiences as well as define issues that require further investigation. Although AAOMS has had previous experience with sections, these newly introduced CIGs differ from the sections in that they focus on specific surgical areas rather than on the broader, more encompassing concepts of education and research as they apply to the entire specialty. Thus, while the CIGs will bring with them some of the same problems initially faced when the sections were formed, they also raise many new and challenging issues. In anticipation of these complex situations, and in an attempt to avoid them, if possible, it is helpful to look at the experiences of those organizations that have already experimented with such groups to see what benefits and risks are involved. There are many reasons why the formation of CIGs could be a beneficial activity for AAOMS. First and foremost, it would enable the Association to better serve the membership by maintaining professional unity while at the same time providing encouragement and support for those who desire to focus their educational and clinical activities on more specific areas of practice and who feel the need to meet periodically to compare and exchange knowledge and experience. It also would provide the Association with a well-identified group of people who could be called on when needed to address specific issues, provide input into the development of various educational programs, develop and evaluate indicators and clinical outcomes related to parameters of care, monitor third-party payment matters, and make suggestions regarding coding and nomenclature.
(continued on page 1023)
925
CURRENT LITERATURE
Atlas of Craniofacial Trauma. Mathog RI-I (ed), with seven consultants. Philadelphia, PA, 1992, 592 pages, 2 10 illustrations, $100.00 The author describes techniques that he has found effective for the management of mandibular, maxillary, malar, orbital, nasoethmoidal, frontal sinus, sphenoid, ethmoid, and temporal fractures, as well as for laryngeal, carotid, facial nerve, and parotid duct injuries. Each chapter reviews the pathophysiology of the injury, the indications for surgery, and the pitfalls and complications that may occur. Modifications, options, and alternative methods add to the scope of the presentation. Atlas of Cutaneous Laser Surgery. Apfelberg DB (ed), with 75 contributors. New York, NY, Raven Press, 1992, 483 pages, illustrated, $195.00 The material in this book is presented in case summary form. Each author has selected one or more lesions treatable with lasers and then describes the choice of laser, the power and exposure settings, and the method by which the procedure is performed. Also included are precautions to be taken and postoperative care instructions. A comprehensive bibliography is provided. Head and Neck Microsurgery. Swartz WM, Banis JC Jr. Baltimore, MD, Williams &Wilkins, 1992,275 pages, illustrated, $125.00 This book is divided into three sections. The first describes the essentials of preoperative planning and the intraoperative
1023
management of the microsurgical patient. The second provides a detailed description of selected donor sites, the regional anatomy, techniques of flap dissection, and an explanation of the indications for their use. The final section uses a problem-oriented approach to the most common reconstructive situations encountered. Each problem is analyzed for its functional and esthetic requirements, and options and alternatives are discussed. Temporomandibular Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment. Kaplan AS, Assall LA (eds), with 31 contributors. Philadelphia, PA, Saunders, 1992, 754 pages, 1,220 illustrations, $145.00 This text provides a comprehensive approach to management of problems related to the temporomandibular joint. The material is divided into five sections: basic sciences, pathology, diagnosis, and nonsurgical and surgical management. An extensive bibliography and numerous illustrations, many in color, complement the various chapters. Dental Pharmacology (ed 2). Cowen FF. Philadelphia, PA, 1992, 446 pages, illustrated, paperback The content of this book is divided into sections on general principles of pharmacology, drugs used by dental practitioners, drugs patients are taking, and drugs of special interest. The emphasis is on material of immediate application to clinical practice rather than on theory. Each chapter contains pertinent references and a supplemental bibliography is also provided for those interested in additional information.
(Continued from page 925)
For the Association, the challenge is to provide the necessary time, staffing, and resources needed to make the CIGs successful. For the CIGs, there is the challenge to clearly establish their role as groups with special interests rather than as special interest groups. Through
such cooperative efforts, the unity of our organization will be strengthened and we can look forward to a new and exciting era for our specialty. DANIELM.LASIUN
Meeting the Challenge of Clinical Interest Groups The CIGS also could be very helpful as a resource in educational matters and in establishing research goals. Through all of these endeavors, CIGs would not only significantly increase the overall involvement of the membership in the organization, but would also stimulate renewed interest in other Association activities. Along with the potential benefits of CIGs, however, are some potential problems that need to be considered now, and again in the future as demands for new groups arise. For a CIG to be successful, the call for its establishment must come from the membership and not the leadership. There must also be a recognized need and purpose. If a CIG does not fulfill these basic requirements, it will never sustain the motivation and enthusiasm necessary for its survival. To be successful, a CIG also should not focus on a limited surgical area or be based solely on currently popular, but yet unproved, technology. Such narrowness of scope tends to produce professional bias and create vested interests that ultimately restrict the potential for future growth and development of the specialty. Another possible problem with CIGs relates to the potential for confusion between their functions and those of various Association committees. Unless the roles of each are clearly defined, there is the likelihood that similar tasks may be undertaken by both groups, resulting in a duplication of effort and a waste of volunteer time and energy. Perhaps the greatest concern with the concept of CIGs, however, is the possibility that they will foster the fractionation of oral and maxillofacial surgery into subspecialties. In a field with an already limited scope, it is questionable whether this would ever be a desirable situation. But even if recognized subspecialties are never created, there is still the possible danger that membership in a CIG would create the perception that such persons are better qualified in that particular area than are other members of the Association. While this could be true in some instances, the fact that membership in a CIG is unrestricted could lead to the even greater danger of less qualified surgeons also holding themselves out as experts. The next 2 years will represent a critical time for both the AAOMS and the Clinical Interest Groups.
For many years the AAOMS Board of Trustees has been concerned about maintaining the cohesiveness of the specialty while still providing for the diverse needs of those Fellows with special interests and concerns. This eventually resulted in the establishment of Sections on Education and Research, an action that has proved to be highly beneficial to both the section members and the Association. This month the AAOMS will expand this concept initially into the areas of anesthesia, temporomandibular disorders, implantology, and maxillofacial cosmetic surgery with the formation of what will be known as Clinical Interest Groups (CIGs). These groups, which will be evaluated over a 2-year trial period, are designed to provide Fellows with special interest in these fields a forum in which they can share knowledge and experiences as well as define issues that require further investigation. Although AAOMS has had previous experience with sections, these newly introduced CIGs differ from the sections in that they focus on specific surgical areas rather than on the broader, more encompassing concepts of education and research as they apply to the entire specialty. Thus, while the CIGs will bring with them some of the same problems initially faced when the sections were formed, they also raise many new and challenging issues. In anticipation of these complex situations, and in an attempt to avoid them, if possible, it is helpful to look at the experiences of those organizations that have already experimented with such groups to see what benefits and risks are involved. There are many reasons why the formation of CIGs could be a beneficial activity for AAOMS. First and foremost, it would enable the Association to better serve the membership by maintaining professional unity while at the same time providing encouragement and support for those who desire to focus their educational and clinical activities on more specific areas of practice and who feel the need to meet periodically to compare and exchange knowledge and experience. It also would provide the Association with a well-identified group of people who could be called on when needed to address specific issues, provide input into the development of various educational programs, develop and evaluate indicators and clinical outcomes related to parameters of care, monitor third-party payment matters, and make suggestions regarding coding and nomenclature.
(continued on page 1023)
925
CURRENT LITERATURE
Atlas of Craniofacial Trauma. Mathog RI-I (ed), with seven consultants. Philadelphia, PA, 1992, 592 pages, 2 10 illustrations, $100.00 The author describes techniques that he has found effective for the management of mandibular, maxillary, malar, orbital, nasoethmoidal, frontal sinus, sphenoid, ethmoid, and temporal fractures, as well as for laryngeal, carotid, facial nerve, and parotid duct injuries. Each chapter reviews the pathophysiology of the injury, the indications for surgery, and the pitfalls and complications that may occur. Modifications, options, and alternative methods add to the scope of the presentation. Atlas of Cutaneous Laser Surgery. Apfelberg DB (ed), with 75 contributors. New York, NY, Raven Press, 1992, 483 pages, illustrated, $195.00 The material in this book is presented in case summary form. Each author has selected one or more lesions treatable with lasers and then describes the choice of laser, the power and exposure settings, and the method by which the procedure is performed. Also included are precautions to be taken and postoperative care instructions. A comprehensive bibliography is provided. Head and Neck Microsurgery. Swartz WM, Banis JC Jr. Baltimore, MD, Williams &Wilkins, 1992,275 pages, illustrated, $125.00 This book is divided into three sections. The first describes the essentials of preoperative planning and the intraoperative
1023
management of the microsurgical patient. The second provides a detailed description of selected donor sites, the regional anatomy, techniques of flap dissection, and an explanation of the indications for their use. The final section uses a problem-oriented approach to the most common reconstructive situations encountered. Each problem is analyzed for its functional and esthetic requirements, and options and alternatives are discussed. Temporomandibular Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment. Kaplan AS, Assall LA (eds), with 31 contributors. Philadelphia, PA, Saunders, 1992, 754 pages, 1,220 illustrations, $145.00 This text provides a comprehensive approach to management of problems related to the temporomandibular joint. The material is divided into five sections: basic sciences, pathology, diagnosis, and nonsurgical and surgical management. An extensive bibliography and numerous illustrations, many in color, complement the various chapters. Dental Pharmacology (ed 2). Cowen FF. Philadelphia, PA, 1992, 446 pages, illustrated, paperback The content of this book is divided into sections on general principles of pharmacology, drugs used by dental practitioners, drugs patients are taking, and drugs of special interest. The emphasis is on material of immediate application to clinical practice rather than on theory. Each chapter contains pertinent references and a supplemental bibliography is also provided for those interested in additional information.
(Continued from page 925)
For the Association, the challenge is to provide the necessary time, staffing, and resources needed to make the CIGs successful. For the CIGs, there is the challenge to clearly establish their role as groups with special interests rather than as special interest groups. Through
such cooperative efforts, the unity of our organization will be strengthened and we can look forward to a new and exciting era for our specialty. DANIELM.LASIUN
