Access Control
Open Access
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Embargo Period
5-18-2012
Degree Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Degree Track
Family Nurse Practioner
Year Degree Awarded
2012
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
Otitis Media with Effusion, OME, Guideline
Advisor Name
Jean
Advisor Middle Initial
E.
Advisor Last Name
DeMartinis
Capstone Chair Name
Jean
E.
Demartinis
Capstone Member Name
Emma
Dundon
Capstone Outside Member Name
Mark
E.
Belemjian
Abstract
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a disorder that can cause hearing loss in children, which can lead to speech and language delay. There are recommendations within the OME guideline and primary care providers are aware of these guidelines but do not follow them. For this project a suburban outpatient pediatric medical practice with 8 providers (4 MD’s and 4 NP’s) was studied. The 8 providers were educated and presented with an algorithm, designed by the author, organizing the OME recommendations in a flowchart. Over a 2-month period, providers referred to the algorithm and used the recommendations in practice. Then 3 interviews were completed, and providers’ answers were analyzed. There was an 87% approval rating by providers using the recommendations in practice and referring to the algorithm. Providers acknowledged that being educated on the OME guideline and using the algorithm in practice improved management of patients with OME. Educating providers on the OME guideline recommendations and supplying them with the recommendations organized in an algorithm maintains consistency and efficiency when treating patients with OME.