The methodical collection of ear surgery data as a basis for quality control

Data relating to daily clinical practice were collected in an otologic database. Over a period of 3 years, information was gathered about 1,000 ear operations. This led to the following conclusions: the collection of data is difficult; the selection of data and the moment it should be fed into the systems are very important; there is a risk of using too many items and therefore reducing surgeon compliance. On the other hand, too few items result in irrelevant overviews. The collection of ear surgery data makes it easier to understand positive and negative outcomes.