Outcomes assessment for chronic otitis media: the Chronic Ear Survey.

Analysis of outcomes in chronic otitis media has in the past been limited to audiological measurement or physical examination. The Chronic Ear Survey (CES) is an instrument to measure the impact of chronic otitis media and its treatment. The survey provides information regarding total ear-specific health, as well as subscore information regarding activity restriction, symptoms, and medical resource usage attributable to chronic otitis media Application of the CES to a prospective, nonrandomized series of 147 patients revealed that patients with chronic otitis media have significantly decreased CES scores compared with unaffected controls and that surgical intervention provides a significant improvement in ear-specific outcomes.