Vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing for the diagnosis of conductive hearing loss: Survey of pediatric otolaryngologists' knowledge and beliefs

Objectives: To assess physicians' knowledge and beliefs regarding vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing in children. Methods: A survey was delivered via email in html format to 1069 members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery who identified as pediatric otolaryngologists. Study data were collected and managed using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tools. Results: 443 (41.4%) physicians opened the email. 190(42.9% of opens) initiated the survey, of which 117 (61.9%) fully completed the survey of the physicians who responded to a question regarding knowledge of VEMP, 16% of respondents had never heard of the test. 16% of participants would use it in the setting of diagnosing pediatric conductive hearing loss. Responses regarding the youngest age at which VEMP is possible ranged from younger than 6 months through greater than 13 years of age. Beliefs regarding utility and reliability of VEMP varied, with 'unsure' as the most frequent response. Additionally, only 26% of pediatric otolaryngologists indicated some access to the test. Conclusion: The knowledge and availability of VEMP testing in the pediatric otolaryngology community varies widely. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.