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Otitis media guidelines program

Reach:
National
Focus area:
Indigenous
Status:
Current
Evaluated:
No

Overview

The purpose of the Otitis media guidelines program is to enhance the capacity of general practitioners and other primary health care providers to provide high quality treatment for otitis media (OM) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The aims and objectives of the program are to:

increase awareness of the updated Recommendations for clincial care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander populations
improve the uptake of best practice service delivery for the prevention, early detection and management of OM in Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander children
increase diagnosis and appropriate referral of OM in Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander children aged 0-4.

The program will be implemented in three phases:

promotion and marketing within general practice from January 2012
education and training - a training/CPD module for general practitioners and other primary health care providers (based on the guidelines) to be available from February 2012
implementation of the best practice model of care (based on the guidelines) from January 2012 to June 2013.

The Australian Medicare Local Alliance (formerly the Australian General Practice Network) have been funded by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health to implement the Otitis media guidelines program.

Abstract adapted from Australian Medicare Local Alliance

Contacts

Irene Dummett
Project Officer
Australian Medicare Local Alliance
Ground Floor Minter Ellison Building
25 National Circuit
Forrest ACT 2603
PO Box 4308
Manuka ACT 2603
Ph: (02) 6228 0826
Fax: (02) 6228 0899
Email: idummett@amlalliance.com.au

Related publications

Darwin Otitis Guidelines Group (2010)

Recommendations for clinical care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research

The updated Recommendations for clinical care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations builds on the 2001 guidelines using recent research and an explicit search and critical appraisal of the medical literature between 2001 and 2010. The original guidelines were directly linked to the Systematic review of existing evidence and primary care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

The guidelines are intended for use by health care professionals who work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. This includes Aboriginal health workers, Aboriginal ear health workers, primary care and specialist physicians, nurses, remote nurses and nurse practitioners, audiologists, audiometrists, speech therapists, and child development specialists (including advisory visiting teachers and teachers of the deaf).

The clinical care guidelines are published by Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) and were prepared by the Darwin Otitis Guidelines Group in collaboration with the OATSIH Otitis Media Technical Advisory Group. They are designed to facilitate the delivery of comprehensive, effective and appropriate ear health programs.

The clinical care guidelines are divided into sections: prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, medical management, audiological management of associated hearing loss, practical considerations in health care delivery, and prioritisation of primary health care services in different settings. They aim to offer a series of clear recommendations for the clinical care of Indigenous Australians that are:

based on the best available evidence
acceptable to a multi-disciplinary expert panel experienced in this area
presented in plain language and algorithms.

The sources of information used include:

evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, evidence summaries and systematic reviews
high quality primary research on otitis media and hearing loss.

The following separate resources are also included:

what's new in the 2010 update of the clinical care guidelines - two page flyer
- a brief summary of the new features of the guidelines and the research and review processes that went into the new edition
- an outline of the aim, background, contents and use of the guidelines
practical treatment plans and prioritisation of primary health care services in different settings - four page brochure
- a brief introduction to otitis media (OM) and the sources of information on which the guidelines are based
- a summary of practical treatment plans for the management of childhood otitis media in populations at high risk of chronic otitis media (chronic suppuratives otitis media, CSOM)
- a snap shot of health care service priorities when working with limited resources
clinical care algorithms - eight laminated A4 sized cards
- algorithms graphing diagnosis and management of otitis media and hearing loss to assist with clinical care
pocket guide for the diagnosis and management of ear disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
- includes photographic and written description of the symptoms, diagnostic and management notes
- can be attached to a key ring or otoscope
key messages for primary health care providers - A3 sized poster
- a 10 point list of actions to remember when working with Indigenous families to treat and prevent otitis media in Indigenous children.

The practical treatment plan, pocket guide and algorithms are colour coded according to the type of otitis media allowing for quick cross referencing between the resources. All separate resources are also included within the bound guideline book.

Abstract adapted from Recommendations for clinical care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations

Links

Last updated: 13 March 2013

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