Multidisciplinary care improves hearing intervention rates in children with microtia

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric care
• Audiology

Background:

• Microtia/atresia (M-A) presents complex, long-term challenges for children.
• A Multidisciplinary Clinic (MDC) offers integrated care with multiple specialists and inter-disciplinary discussions.
• Comparing outcomes between MDC and non-MDC patients is crucial for understanding care effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient characteristics, treatment choices, and outcomes for children with M-A.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a Multidisciplinary Clinic (MDC) model for M-A care.
• To identify potential benefits of centralized, inter-disciplinary M-A management.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 507 M-A patients (2001-2022).
• Comparison of demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors between MDC and non-MDC cohorts.
• Analysis of treatment choices, including non-surgical and surgical bone amplification.

Main Results:

• MDC patients showed higher rates of non-surgical (82.1%) and transcutaneous bone amplification (40.6%).
• MDC patients received non-surgical bone amplification devices significantly younger (0.8 vs. 2.5 years).
• No significant differences were observed in sex, race, insurance, or surgical rates between groups.

Conclusions:

• The MDC model leads to improved outcomes for M-A patients.
• Children in the MDC are more likely to receive bone amplification devices at younger ages.
• Early referral to MDCs and implementing similar programs are recommended for better M-A care.