Cost-Effectiveness Of Topical Steroids For Glue Ear

Main Category: Ear, Nose and Throat
Also Included In: Hearing / Deafness
Article Date: 25 Mar 2010 - 2:00 PDT

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Many non-surgical treatments are currently used as short-term treatments for otitis media with effusion (OME) in an attempt to avoid unnecessary secondary referral and costly surgery.

This study estimated the cost-effectiveness of topical intranasal steroids for the treatment of otitis media with effusion (OME) in primary care from the perspective of the UK National Health Service and demonstrates that topical steroids are unlikely to be a cost-effective treatment for OME in general practice.

Epidemiological studies of OME reveal that it affects 50-80% of children by the age of five. Without effective intervention, severe OME can cause significant hearing loss, which may result in linguistic, developmental, behavioural, motor and social impairment. Although many OME cases resolve spontaneously, referral rates from primary care remain high, with approximately 1-5 per 1000 children in the general population undergoing surgery (grommets) each year.

The study was led by Dr. Stavros Petrou from the University of Oxford.

Says Dr. Petrou: "This study demonstrates that the current use of topical steroids for OME is unlikely to represent an efficient use of scare public resources."

This will be discussed in detail in Value in Health, the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and outcomes Research.

Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research and help health care leaders to make decisions that are solidly evidence-based. The journal is published bi-monthly and has a regular readership of over 5,000 clinicians, decision-makers, and researchers worldwide.

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ISPOR

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