Our registry study investigating health care utilization and costs associated with chronic otitis media in western Sweden has been published in European Archives of Oto-rhino-laryngology.
The study showed that patients with chronic otitis media require considerable care over many years. This places a significant burden on the patient and the health care system. In total, the 656 individuals included in the study visited a health care provider 13,782 times over a five year period, at a cost of 6 million Euros to the health care system.
Interestingly, a fair proportion of visits and costs were due to revision surgeries aiming to address failed surgical attempts of hearing restoration. This suggests that alternative options to these surgeries, such as bone conduction implants or hearing aids, should be more carefully considered, earlier on in the treatment pathway.
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Healthy Hearing Ears 