Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31934875›Full record

ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2020

An Ototoxicity Grading System Within a Mobile App (OtoCalc) for a Resource-Limited Setting to Guide Grading and Management of Drug-Induced Hearing Loss in Patients With Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: Prospective, Cross-Sectional Case Series.

Cara Hollander, Karin Joubert, Natalie Schellack

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Scoping review of health information technology usability methods leveraged in Africa.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2023
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Impact of drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment on hearing function in South African adults: Bedaquiline versus kanamycin.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Cara Hollander *School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-5460-2881
Karin JoubertDepartment of Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-2366-8607
Natalie Schellack *School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-9690-6285
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University · ZAUniversity of the Witwatersrand · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTuberculosis (TB) affects millions of people worldwide and is treated with medication including aminoglycosides and polypeptides. Individuals respond differently to medications as a result of their genetic inheritance. These differences in genetic inheritance can result in the underdosing or overdosing of medication, which may affect the efficacy or, in the case of aminoglycosides and polypeptides used in the treatment of all forms of TB, result in ototoxicity. When ototoxicity is detected, physicians should adjust dosages to minimize further ototoxicity and hearing loss; however, there are no suitable grading systems to define significant hearing loss.

objectiveThe aim of this study was to develop a standardized grading system by making use of an electronic health (eHealth) platform to ensure that a user-friendly method was available to interpret hearing test results, calculate significant hearing loss, and provide recommendations with regard to dosage adjustments and management. It further aimed to establish the sensitivity of the newly developed grading scale.

methodsThis grading system was developed in South Africa based on data that were obtained from an audiology and pharmacokinetic study on patients with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) at two DR-TB units at state-run hospitals. This feasibility study employed a prospective, cross-sectional, exploratory, descriptive case series research design, with a total of 22 participants. Participants underwent audiological and pharmacological assessments at baseline and every 2 weeks for the first 3 months of treatment. Various professionals (8 in total) were subsequently involved in the development of the eHealth system, including a software engineer, four audiologists, a pharmacist, a medical doctor, and a nurse. The app underwent 14 modifications that involved aspects of data storage, ease of usability, grades, and the risk factor checklist.

resultsAn ototoxicity grading system within a mobile app for use by doctors, nurses, and audiologists was developed for patients with DR-TB. The purpose of this user-friendly ototoxicity calculator, OtoCalc, is to (1) assist health professionals in assessing patients for ototoxicity, (2) establish the clinical significance of ototoxicity by calculating the grade of hearing loss, (3) monitor the progression of hearing loss, and (4) enable systematic referral and management of patients according to their needs.

conclusionsThis newly developed system is more sensitive than the existing grading methods for determining ototoxicity in patients with DR-TB. This app needs to be trialed in a larger sample to establish data security, ease of use, and suitability within this population.

Indexed as

Hearing LossMobile ApplicationsOtotoxicityTuberculosis, Multidrug-ResistantCross-Sectional StudiesDrug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsHumansPharmaceutical PreparationsProspective StudiesSouth AfricaPharmaceutical Preparationsdrug-resistant tuberculosiseHealthgrading systemOtoCalcototoxicity

Identifiers

PMID31934875
PMCPMC6996762
OpenAlexW2969750807

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.