CONSENSUS STATEMENT FOR GOOD PRACTICE AND AUDIT MEASURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM AND HYPERTHYROIDISM

Thyroid disease is common and may present to a wide range of doctors. With the widespread availability of function testing in recent years i ncreasing numbers of patients with symptoms which might be attributabl e to hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are being tested. Many aspects of the management of thyroid disease have not been subjected to contr olled clinical trials yet there are established practices which have n ever been questioned. The Research Unit of the Royal College of Physic ians of London, the Endocrinology and Diabetes Committee of the colleg e, and the Society for Endocrinology set up a working group to produce a consensus statement for good practice with associated audit measure s which could be used to ensure that purchasers of health care are obt aining an acceptable standard of care for patients with thyroid diseas e. The working group focused on patient management rather than present ing symptoms and signs, which were detailed in a similar report by the American Thyroid Association.(1) This report summarises the consensus views reached by members of the working group.