Parental views on otitis media: systematic review of qualitative studies

Abstract

• Otitis media is a leading cause of conductive hearing loss in children. • Parental perception of the treatment burden of otitis media can potentially affect their confidence and ability to care for their child. What is New: • We identified five themes to reflect parental perspectives: diminishing competency, disrupting life schedules, social isolation, threatening normal development, taking ownership, valuing support, and cherishing health. • Parents may perceive caring for a child with otitis media as disempowering and disruptive and with reoccurrence doubt treatment efficacy and their parental competency and develop fears regarding their child's development.

Global burden of hearing impairment and ear disease

“…Similarly, the social stigma of otorrhoea with CSOM can also lead to withdrawal and separation. Furthermore, a recent systematic review of parental views found that otitis media in children caused parental guilt over failure to recognise symptoms, helplessness and despair, disruption of life schedules, and, again, social isolation 81 …”

Smartphone otoscopy by non-specialist health workers in rural Greenland: A cross-sectional study

“…Worldwide, otitis media (OM) is one of the most prevalent pediatric diseases and a common reason for prescription of antibiotics [1,2]. The burden on society as well as on individual families is large, and the socioeconomic consequences due to parental absence from work substantial [3,4]. Correct diagnosis and management of OM is of importance, especially in high risk populations ( [5,6].…”

Increased risk of Eustachian tube disorders in patients with sleep-disordered breathing

“…[ 13 ] Eustachian tube disorders (ETDs) play the most relevant role in the development of OM, [ 13 ] with 1 animal study finding that ETD was the sole cause and was sufficient for the development of persistent OM. [ 14 ] The goal of treatment for either ETD or OM is improving aeration of the middle ear, improving hearing and vestibular function, and preventing cholesteatoma formation. [ 15 ] The primary management of ETD involves reversing the precipitating factors such as nasal allergy or sinusitis.…”