Primary Care for Tinnitus: Practice and Opinion Among GPs in England
Author Information
Author(s): El-Shunnar Suliman K, Hoare Derek J, Smith Sandra, Gander Phillip E, Kang Sujin, Fackrell Kathryn, Hall Deborah A
Primary Institution: NIHR National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing, The University of Nottingham
Hypothesis
How are people with tinnitus assessed and managed in general practice in England?
Conclusion
GP assessment and management of tinnitus shows potential inequity of service for patients, with many GPs expressing a need for better training.
Supporting Evidence
- 90% of GPs assessed the impact of tinnitus on quality of life.
- 83% routinely removed earwax in tinnitus management.
- 87% provided information-based advice to patients.
- Only 4% of GPs would offer antidepressant drugs for tinnitus.
Takeaway
This study asked doctors how they help patients with ringing in their ears, called tinnitus, and found that many want more training to do it better.
Methodology
A nine-item postal questionnaire was sent to 2000 GPs randomly selected across England.
Potential Biases
Potential responder bias as the sample may not represent all GPs in England.
Limitations
The study had a low response rate and did not send follow-up reminders, which may have affected the representativeness of the sample.
Participant Demographics
Responses were received from GPs across all 10 strategic health authorities in England.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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