App may diagnose ear infections better than clinicians
Futurity March 5, 2024
A new smartphone app which uses artificial intelligence to accurately diagnose ear infections, or acute otitis media, could help decrease unnecessary antibiotic use in young children, according to new research.
Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common childhood infections for which antibiotics are prescribed but can be difficult to discern from other ear conditions without intensive training.
The new AI tool, which makes a diagnosis by assessing a short video of the ear drum captured by an otoscope connected to a cellphone camera, offers a simple and effective solution that could be more accurate than trained clinicians.
“Acute otitis media is often incorrectly diagnosed,” says senior author Alejandro Hoberman, professor of pediatrics and director of the division...