Video Otoscopy as a Novel Teaching and Remote Otolaryngology Consultation Tool at an Academic Medical Center

Objective Assess the use of video otoscopy (VO) as a tool for teaching Emergency Department (ED) residents and remote Otolaryngology consultation. Study Design Survey and retrospective chart review. Setting Tertiary care center. Methods Emergency Medicine resident physicians completed an otologic skill self‐assessment and pathology followed by an interactive training on VO and postintervention assessment after 9 months of use. Outcomes compared change in pre‐ to posttraining scores. ED consultations using VO during this time period were reviewed to detect differences between the presumed diagnosis/treatment based only on phone consultation and VO image compared to the final diagnosis/treatment after in‐person Otolaryngology consultation. Results Forty‐six (63.1%) ED residents participated. Diagnostic accuracy improved by 20.7% overall. The most improved diagnoses were of a normal ear canal (+75%), tympanosclerosis (+58.4%), and ear canal foreign body (+57.1%); most challenging were external auditory canal cyst (−13.6%), hemotympanum (−11.3%), and cerumen (−1.9%). Cholesteatoma did not improve because all responses were incorrect; neither did tympanic membrane perforation because all were correct. Confidence in the otologic exam and anatomy also increased ( P < .01). Thirteen consults used VO and 3 (23.1%) had a change in diagnosis/treatment after in‐person Otolaryngology evaluation. Conclusion Training on the use of VO significantly improves the confidence and diagnostic skills of ED providers for many pathologies. This application suggests the efficacy of an otologic e‐consultation model.