Date of Award
5-2-2025
Degree Type
Evidence-Based Project Report
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Nola A. Schmidt
Abstract
Acute otitis media is the number one cause for primary health care visits and antibiotic prescriptions in the pediatric population (El Feghaly & Jackson, 2023). Upwards of 27% of children experience multiple episodes of otitis media (OM) that meet recurrent otitis media (ROM) diagnosis criteria (Pelton & Marchisio, 2023). Guided by the Iowa Model (Iowa Model Collaborative, 2017), the project’s purpose was to implement a multimodal intervention to decrease recurrent OM and repeat clinic visits. A comprehensive literature search of 5 databases yielded 16 sources ranging from levels I-IV (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2023). Using the AGREE II and JBI Critical Appraisal Tools, evidence was determined to range from strong to good quality. Evidence showed the importance of conducting a thorough physical assessment of the tympanic membrane, collecting an in-depth patient history, prescribing the most appropriate antibiotic, patient teaching about environmental factors, and referring the patient to an ENT physician based on current clinical guidelines. Participants were recruited at a Northern Indiana urgent care. Patients presenting with a chief complaint of ear pain or ear infection were asked to complete a ROM questionnaire. Guided by responses on the ROM questionnaire, caregivers assessed, diagnosed, and treated patients based on current clinical guidelines for OM. Outcome data were gathered 4 weeks after visits regarding additional OM occurrences, return clinic visits, and follow-ups with ENT referrals. Using a pre-test/posttest design, findings showed a statistically significant decrease in repeat disease reoccurrence (X 2 = 5.714, df = 1, p < .05) and repeat office visits (X 2 = 5.714, df = 1, p < .05). There was no significant change in ROM diagnostic accuracy between the pre-group (n = 35) (94.3%) and post-group (n = 35) (97.1%). The multimodal intervention was shown to be successful.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Courtaney, Daniel, "A Multimodal Intervention to Improve Treatment and Clinical Outcomes in Children With Recurrent Otitis Media" (2025). Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports. 215.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/ebpr/215
Included in
Family Medicine Commons, Family Practice Nursing Commons, Otolaryngology Commons, Pediatric Nursing Commons, Pediatrics Commons, Primary Care Commons
