Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41090395›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of primary health care2026

Diagnostic accuracy of otitis media with and without a fictitious AI support among physicians in primary care and medical students.

Malin Hedman, Vezira Kosuta, Manfred Lindmark, Josefin Sandström, Brenda Trinh, Pär-Daniel Sundvall, Karin Rystedt, Mimmi Werner, Fredrik Öhberg, Thorbjörn Lundberg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of primary health care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

10 authors.

Malin HedmanDepartment of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Vezira KosutaGeneral Practice/Family Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Manfred LindmarkDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Josefin SandströmDepartment of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-9425-8632
Brenda TrinhDepartment of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Pär-Daniel SundvallGeneral Practice/Family Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Karin RystedtGeneral Practice/Family Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mimmi WernerDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Otorhinolaryngology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-9031-565X
Fredrik ÖhbergDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Thorbjörn LundbergDepartment of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1478-4945

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOtitis media (OM) in children is a common infection in primary care, contributing to a significant global health and economic burden. In high-income countries, diagnostic inaccuracy leads to over-diagnosis of acute OM (AOM) and over-prescribing of antibiotics, which may contribute to antibiotic resistance.

aimTo investigate the diagnostic accuracy and the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing OM among primary care physicians and medical students.

methodA diagnostic accuracy study in which primary care physicians and medical students diagnosed AOM, OM with effusion (OME), and normal eardrums using 21 high-quality digital images, both without and with a fictitious AI support. We estimated the technological impact of the fictitious AI support.

resultsOverall diagnostic accuracy was 64% without, and 75% with AI support. The most experienced physicians reached 69% without, and 80% with AI; the least experienced 61% without, and 73% with AI; medical students reached 64% without, and 74% with AI. Accuracy for AOM was 77% without and 86% with AI, and for OME 46% without and 66% with AI. Mean diagnostic confidence increased significantly with AI support. The technological impact was 1.4. Automation bias was 1.2 overall, 0.9 for the most experienced and 1.2 for the least experienced physicians.

conclusionWe report modest diagnostic accuracy for OM among primary care physicians and medical students. The fictitious AI support system improved both accuracy and diagnostic confidence and reduced over-diagnosis. The most experienced physicians achieved the highest accuracy, the less experienced were more often misled by the fictitious AI.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceClinical CompetenceOtitis MediaOtitis Media with EffusionPhysicians, Primary CareStudents, MedicalAdultFemaleHumansMalePrimary Health CareArtificial intelligencediagnostic accuracydiagnostic confidenceotitis mediatechnological impact

Identifiers

PMID41090395
PMCPMC12918355

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.