Patient Self-Recorded Digital Otoscopy in Otology Diagnostics

Erik Appelberg; Sanna Viitasalo; Saku Tapani Sinkkonen

doi:10.1002/lio2.70318

Patient Self-Recorded Digital Otoscopy in Otology Diagnostics

Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2025 Dec 3;10(6):e70318. doi: 10.1002/lio2.70318. eCollection 2025 Dec.

Authors

Erik Appelberg¹, Sanna Viitasalo¹, Saku Tapani Sinkkonen¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Center Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland.

Abstract

Objectives: To study whether patient self-recorded digital otoscopy (PDO) is a reliable diagnostic tool in otologic remote consultations.

Methods: Based on real-life referrals, 45 otologic outpatients were recruited. The patients were shown an instructional video on the use of a digital otoscope. After the tutorial, they recorded a short video of their ears. For comparison, digital otoscopy (DO) was performed by an ENT resident, and the patient was examined in person by an otologist. The recordings were evaluated by otologists, general otolaryngologists and ENT residents. The recordings were evaluated for their quality, usefulness in remote consultations, diagnostic accuracy, and observers' confidence in setting the diagnosis.

Results: The average PDO quality was 5.2 ± 2.5 (mean ± SEM; scale of 1-10). The ENT resident recorded DO (RDO) quality was 6.6 ± 2.3 (mean ± SEM; scale of 1-10). The diagnosis was correct in 48.4% of the PDO cases and in 63.5% of the RDO cases. The diagnostic accuracy varied significantly across different pathologies.

Conclusions: The overall quality of PDOs is satisfactory, although inferior to that of RDOs. The diagnostic accuracy of PDOs was comparable to that of RDOs for certain pathologies, highlighting that self-recorded DO may be used for remote consultations with limitations. Digital otoscopes could be used by general practitioners and nurses to facilitate otologic remote consultations.

Level of evidence: 3.

Keywords: digital otoscope; digital otoscopy; otology; remote consultation; telemedicine.