Abstract
Introduction
Variations in clinical practice regarding the management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) among clinicians have been noted in previous studies. Such variations might be related to the different adherence to clinical practice guidelines.
Objective
To evaluate clinicians’ adherence to BPPV guidelines and investigate the variations in the adherence between different specialties and qualifications.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study with a vignettes-based survey conducted between June and August, 2020. We included clinicians engaged in managing BPPV that had at least one year of clinical experience. We excluded students, and clinicians who were not involved in the management of individuals with BPPV. Participants were asked to make their management choices based on four hypothetical patient vignettes. The sample ranged from 77 participants for the first vignette to 45 participants for the last vignette.
Results
We included 77 clinicians in the study, with the majority being Otolaryngologists (31.2%). The respondents’ mean adherence to the guideline was of 63.3%. Result showed that Otolaryngologists’ adherence was higher than that of clinicians from different specialties (p = 0.006, d = 0.72). Furthermore, clinicians with a postgraduate degree were more likely to adhere than those with a bachelor’s degree only (p = 0.014, d = 0.58) and participants who were aware of the guideline were more likely to adhere to it (p < 0.001, d = 1.05). Lastly, regression analysis exhibited that adherence was affected by postgraduate degree and guideline awareness.
Conclusion
Otolaryngologists were more likely to adhere to the guideline than other specialties. Among all specialties, higher adherence was associated with guideline awareness and postgraduate degrees.
Keywords
vertigo; benign paroxysmal positional vertigo; guideline adherence; physical therapist; otolaryngologist
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