Structured Abstract

Contents

• Preface
• Key Informants
• Technical Expert Panel
• Peer Reviewers
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
  • Background and Objectives
  • Key Questions
  • Analytic Frameworks
• Methods
  • Eligibility Criteria
  • Evidence Identification
  • Data Extraction and Data Management
  • Assessment of Methodological Risk of Bias of Individual Studies
  • Data Synthesis
  • Grading the Strength of Evidence
  • Assessing Applicability
• Results
  • Key Question 1
  • Key Question 2
  • Key Question 3
  • Key Question 4
  • Key Question 5
• Discussion
  • Overall Summary and Strength of Evidence
  • Limitations
  • Future Research Recommendations
  • Conclusions
• References
• Appendix A. Literature Search
• Appendix B. Excluded Studies
• Appendix C. Study Design
• Appendix D. Arm Details
• Appendix E. Baseline Characteristics
• Appendix F. Risk of Bias
• Appendix G. Patient-Centered and Quality of Life Outcomes
• Appendix H. Harms
• Appendix I. Network Meta-Analysis Model, Inconsistency Analysis Results, and Illustrative Trace and Posterior Density Plots

Suggested citation:

Steel D, Adam GP, Di M, Halladay C, Pan I, Coppersmith N, Balk EM, Trikalinos TA. Tympanostomy Tubes in Children With Otitis Media. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 185. (Prepared by the Brown Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2015-00002-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 17-EHC003-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; May 2017. www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm. doi: https://doi.org/10.23970/AHRQEPCCER185.

This report is based on research conducted by the Brown Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. 290-2015-00002-I). The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

None of the investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report.

The information in this report is intended to help health care decisionmakers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, among others—make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients.

AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of any derivative products that may be developed from this report, such as clinical practice guidelines, other quality enhancement tools, or reimbursement or coverage policies, may not be stated or implied.

This report may periodically be assessed for the currency of conclusions. If an assessment is done, the resulting surveillance report describing the methodology and findings will be found on the Effective Health Care Program Web site at www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov. Search on the title of the report.

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