JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Otological diseases make up a large proportion of global disease. In 2015, the Global Burden of Disease Project ranked otitis media as the third most common short-term disease with an incidence of 471 million worldwide. Furthermore, hearing loss was ranked the fourth most common chronic disease, affecting over 1 billion people (which is even thought to be an under estimation) (Saunders 2018). The World Health Organization has noted a discrepancy between burden of disease and current resources for many specialties including otology, encouraging advances in technology and telemedicine to help bridge this gap around the world (World Health Organization 2010). Recently, with the continual rise of availability of smart phones, mobile applications and attachments have become a way to achieve this, with some applications showing promise for streamlining referrals to ENT specialists (Casale 2018, Erkkola-Anttinen 2018). The aim of this study was to assess the usability and practicality of such a novel technology that shows potential for improving patient care (Mistry 2017).

Objective:

To determine the usability and practicality of the endoscope-i system; a novel mobile attachment for aural endoscopy. To observe the ease of use of different professionals with the device exploring ways to improve the attachment with the aim of improving future ontological practice. Objectives: To assess its ease of use in conducting an aural examination. To assess its feasibility for integrating its use into clinical practice. To assess its ease and practicality over current practices with otoscopes. To confirm or deny the ability of the device to produce an image of sufficient quality to make a clinical assessment. To assess the usefulness of the current training given for using the device. To gain insights into future recommendations for the product from the differing specialists

Methods:

A formative usability study of the endoscope-i system was conducted with five healthcare professionals. Each session lasted 40 minutes and involved: Audio/Video (A/V) consent, hands-on session, private semi-structured interview, and an option to discuss the device with a company representative.

Results:

Results:

All participants found the endoscope-i system easy to use. The image quality was perceived to be greater than that achieved by current otoscopes. The ability to record images and view them retrospectively was also seen as a positive.

Conclusions:

Conclusion: The study has not identified any significant issues relating to design, functionality or application. Participants perceived the system as superior to current options with a directly positive impact on their clinical practice.