Table 3.

Changes in diagnosis, oral antibiotic therapy and GP review plans between Step 1 (non-pneumatic otoscopy) and Step 2 by technique used

Change between step 1 and 2	Tympanometry		Pneumatic otoscopy			Significance
						χ 2 and p value
	Yes	No	Yes	No	Incomplete data
Any change in GP diagnosis	96	93	32	113	33	28.64, df 1, p < 0.01
Change from diagnosis of NAD at Step 1 to OME at Step 2	10	44	0	67		p < 0.01 †
Change from AOM at Step 1 to NAD at Step 2	5	26	1	24		p = 0.21 †
Change from OME at Step 1 to NAD at Step 2	10	28	4	14		0.11, df 1, p = 1
Change from Unsure at Step 1 to NAD, AOM or OME at Step 2	24	6	13	7		1.4, df = 1, p = 0.33
Change from NAD, AOM or OME at Step 1 to Unsure at Step 2	15	139	9	110		0.40, df 1, p = 0.53
Change in decision to prescribe oral antibiotic	12	136	5	122	72	2.05, df 1, p = 0.15
Any change in planned GP review	33	122	10	114	87	9.24, df 1, p < 0.01
Change from no plan for GP review at Step 1 to GP review plan at Step 2	21	63	5	72		10.16, df 1, p < 0.01
Change from GP review plan at Step 1 to no plan for GP review at Step 2	13	57	7	39		0.22, df 1,p = 0.64

†Fisher’s exact test.

GP = General practitioner (primary healthcare practitioner).

AOM = Acute otitis media, OME = Otitis media with effusion, NAD = No abnormality detected.