Clinicians use artificial intelligence to diagnose ear infections more accurately

A child pulling his or her ear in pain typically results in a parent scheduling a doctor's appointment to check for a medical problem. However, studies have consistently shown that it's a coin toss whether or not a pediatrician or a non-specialist can correctly diagnose an ear infection. "The ears are just a nice and easy thing about which to say, 'This is why my child isn't sleeping,'" says James Clark, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., assistant professor of otolaryngology--head and neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Incorrect diagnoses can be frustrating and time-consuming for parents, not to mention the ear, nose and throat doctors called in for a second opinion. Clark and Therese Canares, M.D., assistant professor in pediatric emergency medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, believe artificial intelligence (AI) could help better diagnose and manage ear infections, even remotely from a patient's home.