Bone conduction hearing devices improve quality of life in adults with chronic otitis media hearing loss

This meta-analysis pooled data from nine non-randomized studies involving 107 adults with chronic otitis media and associated hearing loss. The intervention studied was the use of a bone conduction hearing device (BCHD). No comparator group was reported in the analysis.

The primary outcome was health-related quality of life (HRQoL). BCHD use was associated with a significant improvement in HRQoL, with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 35.50 (95% confidence interval = 20.37 to 50.62, p < 0.001). For the secondary outcome of audiological function, pure tone audiometry showed improvements ranging from 38 to 52 dB, though specific effect sizes and statistical measures for this outcome were not reported.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported in the meta-analysis. Key limitations include the exclusive use of non-randomized study designs and a small total sample size of 107 participants. The authors rated the included studies as moderate to high quality but noted the need for larger controlled studies to strengthen the evidence base.

In practice, this analysis suggests BCHDs may be associated with meaningful quality of life and hearing improvements for adults with chronic otitis media-related hearing loss. However, clinicians should interpret these findings cautiously due to the observational nature of the evidence and limited sample, which preclude definitive causal conclusions and may affect generalizability.