A mixed methods comparative evaluation of a low cost otoscope (Arclight) with a traditional device in twenty-one clinicians

Keypoints

· WHO estimates up to 330 million people worldwide (4% of world population) have chronic ear infections with a significant proportion of these suffer from disabling hearing loss.
· The majority of people with treatable ear diseases reside in low‐ and middle‐income countries where access to otoscopes is limited.
· A novel, low‐cost, LED‐illuminated, solar‐powered otoscope, the Arclight has been developed as a practical and economical alternative to traditional and more expensive devices.
· In comparison with a traditional otoscope, the Arclight has been shown in our study to be equally effective in identifying common ear conditions.
· By overcoming the barriers to acquisition and maintenance of a conventional otoscope in low‐resource settings, the Arclight has potential to assist in reduction in chronic ear diseases and the subsequent hearing loss in LMICs.