Otoscopy

Middle ear effusion findings with pneumatic otoscopy... 

Review diagnostic information to determine if acute infection is present. Are all three diagnostic criteria present Was the proper method used for diagnosis (pneumatic otoscopy) ... 

Pneumatic otoscopy A diagnostic technique involving visualization of the tympanic membrane for transparency, position, and color, and its response to positive and negative air pressure to assess mobility. 

Pneumatic otoscopy or tympanometiy demonstrates an immobile eardrum 50% of cases are bilateral. Draining middle ear fluid occurs (<3% of patients) that usually reveals a bacterial etiology. 

Otology Branch of medicine focusing on disorders of the ear (including hearing and balance). Otoscopy Examination of the ear using an otoscope. 

Thin-sliced high-resolution CT visualises the bony two thirds of the external auditory canal, middle ear structures, the cell system, and bony canals of the inner ear very weU. Often the drum is visible as a very fine line, but it is better assessed by otoscopy. The drum is not of direct radiological interest. A systematic analysis should include the following (Fig. 11.1) ... 

In the case ofOtoSim , the problem was the inability to efficiently and consistently train medical students to examine the middle ear—a skill known as otoscopy. One of the cofounders of OtoSim Inc. recognized that the current method of teaching—lectures and textbooks—was simply Inadequate. The pedagogical problem was further compounded by limited time within the medical school curriculum and the lack of a methodology to confirm that students acquired the required skill by the end of their rotation in otolaryngology. 

The solution, conceptually, was to design a tool that could present a wide variety of middle ear images that were the size of an actual tympanic membrane at the end of a simulated ear canal, and that could only be visualized through an otoscope. The solution, in reality, was to develop an "otoscopy simulator" that satisfied these requirements and enabled the instructor to confirm that the student had mastered the required skill. The technical elements of the otoscopy simulator or OtoSim were explored and developed by the other cofounder of OtoSim Inc, resulting in a series of prototypes. 

In the case ofOtoSim , there was no legal requirement for formal validation with regulatory authorities. However, the inventors assessed the validity of the otoscopy simulator prototype through a series of research projects. For example, they conducted a prospective, randomized controlled trial to demonstrate that medical students trained with the OtoSim had acquired superior otoscopy skills compared with students trained with traditional methods. The results were more dramatic than anticipated. The control group demonstrated 54% diagnostic accuracy, whereas the OtoSim group demonstrated a 78% diagnostic accuracy. 

Otoscopy is one of the worst acquired diagnostic clinical skills (50% accuracy) (THE PAIN)... 

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