Telemedicine-Enabled Otoscopes as Catalysts for Accessible and Preventive Ear Health Care: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Indian Journal of Community Medicine
Dash, G. C., Sahoo, K. C., et al. (2024).
Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 49(6), 796-804.
<div>This systematic review with meta-analysis investigates the use of telepractice-enabled video otoscopy for individuals experiencing ear infections or disorders.</div>
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India)
From database inception to June 2021
<div>Studies that describe describe methodological methods and results. Excludes letters to the editor, comments, suggestions, and reviews.</div>
12
<div>Telemedicine-enabled otoscopes used by non-specialists showed moderate agreement (average k=0.72; 6 studies) with traditional otoscopes. Video otoscope devices demonstrate acceptable sensitivity and excellent specificity for identifying ear disorders via telepractice as follows:</div>
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<ul>
<li><strong>Video otoscope-only devices </strong>(i.e., Welch Allyn, Dino-Lite Pro Earscope, and MedRX video-otoscope): pooled sensitivity= 76% and pooled specificity=94%.</li>
<li><strong>Specialized smartphone otoscopes</strong> (i.e., TYMPA smartphone system, DE500 Firefly digital otoscope, ENTRaview Smartphone): pooled sensitivity= 83% and pooled specificity=94%.</li>
<li><strong>Accessory devices</strong> (i.e., Cupris otoscope, CellScope Oto): pooled sensitivity= 94% and pooled specificity=97%.</li>
<li><strong>No accessory smartphone:</strong> sensitivity= 88% and pooled specificity=80%.</li>
</ul>
<div>Limitations of this review include the potential exclusion of relevant, non-English research, potential publication bias, and high heterogeneity of the pooled figures. Additional research is needed to investigate the impact of technology (e.g., internet connection) limitations or user training on accuracy and the applicability of video otoscopy across settings.</div>
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