Adherence to Evidence Based Guidelines for Acute Otitis Media: A Comparison of Nurse Practitioners and Physicians

Abstract

This research study was conducted to compare the treatment patterns of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physicians when treating children, aged 6 months to 12 years, diagnosed with Acute Otitis Media (AOM) based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines. An anonymous, non-experimental, cross­sectional, 9-item, web-based survey that differentiated information by provider was collected. A total of 39 surveys from NPs and Physicians was received. Findings conclude that providers are not consistently following the CDC and AAP recommendations. Survey analysis show that 35% percent of NPs incorrectly prescribe antibiotics compared to 18.2% of Physicians. Research shows no significance between provider type when prescribing "Watchful Waiting" as a treatment for AOM.

Keywords: acute otitis media, nurse practitioner, physician, antibiotics, watchful waiting, evidence-based guidelines