Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37005441›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2023

Evaluating the generalizability of deep learning image classification algorithms to detect middle ear disease using otoscopy.

Al-Rahim Habib, Yixi Xu, Kris Bock, Shrestha Mohanty, Tina Sederholm, William B Weeks, Rahul Dodhia, Juan Lavista Ferres, Chris Perry, Raymond Sacks and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
7.8field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Deep Learning for Endoscopic Classification of Adenoid Hypertrophy.World journal of otorhinolaryngology - head and neck surgery · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Transforming ENT Healthcare: Advancements and Implications of Artificial Intelligence.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2024
    Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. 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

11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Al-Rahim HabibFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. al-rahim.habib@sydney.edu.au.
Yixi XuAI for Good Lab, Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA.
Kris BockAzure FastTrack Engineering, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Shrestha MohantyMicrosoft, Redmond, WA, USA.
Tina SederholmAI for Good Lab, Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA.
William B WeeksAI for Good Lab, Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA.
Rahul DodhiaAI for Good Lab, Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA.
Juan Lavista FerresAI for Good Lab, Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA.
Chris PerryUniversity of Queensland Medical School, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Raymond SacksFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Narinder SinghFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Microsoft (United States) · USThe University of Sydney · AUThe University of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To evaluate the generalizability of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that use deep learning methods to identify middle ear disease from otoscopic images, between internal to external performance. 1842 otoscopic images were collected from three independent sources: (a) Van, Turkey, (b) Santiago, Chile, and (c) Ohio, USA. Diagnostic categories consisted of (i) normal or (ii) abnormal. Deep learning methods were used to develop models to evaluate internal and external performance, using area under the curve (AUC) estimates. A pooled assessment was performed by combining all cohorts together with fivefold cross validation. AI-otoscopy algorithms achieved high internal performance (mean AUC: 0.95, 95%CI: 0.80-1.00). However, performance was reduced when tested on external otoscopic images not used for training (mean AUC: 0.76, 95%CI: 0.61-0.91). Overall, external performance was significantly lower than internal performance (mean difference in AUC: -0.19, p ≤ 0.04). Combining cohorts achieved a substantial pooled performance (AUC: 0.96, standard error: 0.01). Internally applied algorithms for otoscopy performed well to identify middle ear disease from otoscopy images. However, external performance was reduced when applied to new test cohorts. Further efforts are required to explore data augmentation and pre-processing techniques that might improve external performance and develop a robust, generalizable algorithm for real-world clinical applications.

Indexed as

Deep LearningEar DiseasesAlgorithmsArtificial IntelligenceHumansOtoscopy

Identifiers

PMID37005441
PMCPMC10067817
OpenAlexW4362521443

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.