Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39221462›Full record

ArticleOtolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery2025

Digital Otoscopy With Computer-Aided Composite Image Generation: Impact on the Correct Diagnosis, Confidence, and Time.

Seda Camalan, Carl D Langefeld, Amy Zinnia, Brigham McKee, Matthew L Carlson, Nicholas L Deep, Michael S Harris, Taha A Jan, Vivian F Kaul, Nathan R Lindquist and 5 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

15 authors.

Seda CamalanCenter for Artificial Intelligence Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6899-6065
Carl D LangefeldDepartment of Biostatistics and Data Science, Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Amy ZinniaDepartment of Biostatistics and Data Science, Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Brigham McKeeBowman Gray Center for Medical Education, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Matthew L CarlsonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Nicholas L DeepDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Michael S HarrisDepartment of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Taha A JanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Vivian F KaulDepartment of Otolaryngology, UTHealth Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Nathan R LindquistDepartment of Otolaryngology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Jameson K MattinglyOtology/Neurotology ENT Consultants of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Jay ShahDepartment of Otolaryngology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Kevin Y ZhanDepartment of Otolaryngology, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Metin N GurcanCenter for Artificial Intelligence Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Aaron C MoberlyDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Funding

Computer-assisted diagnosis of ear pathologies by combining digital otoscopy with complementary data using machine learningR01DC020715 · NIDCD · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI Metin Nafi Gurcan, Aaron C Moberly · 2023 to 2026
$2.5M
NIDCD NIH HHS R01 DC020715
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study investigated the comparative performance of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) physicians in correctly detecting ear abnormalities when reviewing digital otoscopy imaging using 3 different visualization methods, including computer-assisted composite images called "SelectStitch," single video frame "Still" images, and video clips. The study also explored clinicians' diagnostic confidence levels and the time to make a diagnosis. STUDY

designClinician diagnostic reader study.

settingOnline diagnostic survey of ENT physicians.

methodsNine ENT physicians reviewed digital otoscopy examinations from 86 ears with various diagnoses (normal, perforation, retraction, middle ear effusion, tympanosclerosis). Otoscopy examinations used artificial-intelligence (AI)-based computer-aided composite image generation from a video clip (SelectStitch), manually selected best still frame from a video clip (Still), or the entire video clip. Statistical analyses included comparisons of ability to detect correct diagnosis, confidence levels, and diagnosis times.

resultsThe ENT physicians' ability to detect ear abnormalities (33.2%-68.7%) varied depending on the pathologies. SelectStitch and Still images were not statistically different in detecting abnormalities (P > .50), but both were different from Video (P < .01). However, the performance improvement observed with Videos came at the cost of significantly longer time to determining the diagnosis. The level of confidence in the diagnosis was positively associated with correct diagnoses, but varied by particular pathology.

conclusionThis study explores the potential of computer-assisted techniques like SelectStitch in enhancing otoscopic diagnoses and time-saving, which could benefit telemedicine settings. Comparable performance between computer-generated and manually selected images suggests the potential of AI algorithms for otoscopy applications.

Indexed as

Ear DiseasesOtoscopyArtificial IntelligenceClinical CompetenceHumansTime FactorsVideo Recordingcomputer‐assisted diagnosiseardrumimage stitchingotoscopytelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID39221462
PMCPMC11905175

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.