Objectives:

The 2004 SCOR Survey was a survey of all the physician-members of the SCOR Network designed to: 1) compare the office practices of primary-care physicians to standards established by the 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics/American Academy of Family Physicians clinical practice guideline on acute otitis media; and 2) to assess primary-care physicians' practices and opinions regarding the office management of pediatric obesity.

Methods:

This study consisted of a mail survey to all active physician-members of the Slone Center Office-based Research (SCOR) Network, a national, practice-based, pediatric research network. The survey was designed to identify primary care physicians’ familiarity with the 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics/American Academy of Family Physicians acute otitis media clinical practice guideline and to compare their practices with its recommendations.

Results:

The response rate was 276 of 469 (58.8%). Overall, 90.5% of responding physicians had read the guideline or summaries of it. Observation without immediate antibiotic treatment was considered a reasonable option for some AOM cases by 88.0% and, over the previous 3 months, these physicians used observation a median of 10% of the time (25th and 75th percentiles, 5% and 25%, respectively). In general, these physicians have altered their antibiotic prescribing practices for AOM towards the guideline’s recommendations since its publication. However, antibiotic choices deviated most widely from the guideline in cases of AOM with severe illness, where only 17.9% follow the recommendation for high-dose amoxicillin-clavulanate, and in cases of children who fail treatment with amoxicillinclavulanate, where only 27.7% favor the recommended intramuscular ceftriaxone.

Investigators:

Louis Vernacchio, M.D., M.Sc.
Principal Investigator

Allen Mitchell, M.D.
Co-Investigator

Study Period:

October 2004 - January 2005

Publications:

Link to PPL

Links to SCOR Affiliated Studies:

Boston University Fever Study
Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infection and NSAID Use in Children
with Varicella
National Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance Study
Xylitol for the Prevention of Acute Otitis Media
2006 - SCOR Survey on Acute Otitis Media and Type 2 Diabetes
Mellitus