Barriers to Current Guidelines in the Management of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media

Abstract

This review’s purpose is to identify barriers on adherence of treatment guidelines in the management of pediatric Acute Otitis Media (AOM). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) released revised AOM practice guidelines in 2013. These guidelines address diagnosis and management of AOM in healthy pediatric patients from six months to 12 years of age. AOM is the most common reason children are prescribed antibiotics1. Previous and continued antibiotic overuse presents increasing problems pertaining to antibiotic resistance, overall children’s health, and healthcare costs2. This guideline recommends treatment should be based on presenting signs and symptoms with severity being key in treatment, while conserving antibiotic use. This guideline includes diagnostic criteria, promotes the use of pneumatic otoscopy, and provides appropriate treatment regimens based on findings. Despite this, there is evidence that these guidelines are not being followed in multiple disciplines that provide care to this population. A comprehensive review of the literature obtained from several databases, produced 650 articles after inclusion and exclusion criteria was applied. In order to include the highest possible level of research, the articles were individually reviewed, and 19 articles were included in this review. Major barriers identified included factors regarding providers, parents, AOM severity and complications, concerns for follow-up care, and other clinical related factors. This literature review identified and compares these multidisciplinary barriers in hope of understanding reasons for the lack of guideline adherence and possibly help facilitate behavioral changes to improve patients’ wellbeing.