Development of an electronic conversation aid to support shared decision making for children with acute otitis media

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Health Informatics
• Clinical Decision Support

Background:

• Antibiotic overuse for acute otitis media (AOM) in children is a significant healthcare quality concern.
• Conflicting understandings between parents and physicians regarding antibiotic risks and benefits contribute to this issue.
• Effective shared decision-making (SDM) is crucial for optimizing AOM management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel conversation aid to support SDM between parents and clinicians for children diagnosed with non-severe AOM.
• To address the healthcare quality gap stemming from differing perspectives on antibiotic therapy for AOM.
• To empower parents with evidence-based information for informed AOM treatment choices.

Main Methods:

• A human-centered design approach guided the development of a web-based encounter tool.
• Collaboration involved parents, clinicians, and designers through literature reviews, observations, surveys, and interviews.
• Iterative prototyping and field-testing in clinical encounters ensured tool usability and relevance.

Main Results:

• An open-access, web-based conversation aid for ear pain management was created.
• The tool features sections on AOM etiology, management options, and visual aids (pictographs) for antibiotic impact on pain and complications.
• It includes a summary page to facilitate discussion of management choices.

Conclusions:

• An evidence-based conversation aid was collaboratively developed to enhance SDM for AOM.
• The tool has the potential to increase parental knowledge of AOM, improve physician-parent communication, and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.
• Facilitating informed choices can lead to better health outcomes and judicious antibiotic use.