Compliance with acute otitis media treatment.

A total of 295 patients at four offices were studied to determine whether the type of medical office or population serviced, written instructions given to the patient, or patient familiarity with the prescribing physician influenced compliance with a 10-day course of antibiotics prescribed for acute otitis media. The relationship between compliance with the recommended treatment and outcome was subsequently determined. The study population included all patients with a new case of acute otitis media who presented to any of four different types of family practice centers involved in the study. Results indicated that compliance, as measured by follow-up rates in less than 11 days and urine antibiotic assays, varied significantly between different office types and patient populations. Written instructions did not improve compliance. In the low socioeconomic group, compliance was improved when the patients were diagnosed and treated by their own physicians. Neither the study factors nor compliance was related to outcome.