Otoscopy
Otoscopy in Clinical Training
Otoscopy is a core clinical skill in primary and community healthcare. Within the Arclight Clinical Teaching programme, training focuses on developing practical examination skills, accurate interpretation of findings, and safe clinical decision-making.
Strengthening otoscopy skills at primary care level supports early identification of common and preventable causes of hearing loss.
Why It Matters
Hearing loss is common worldwide and often preventable. Conditions such as otitis media and impacted wax remain leading causes of avoidable hearing impairment, particularly in low-resource settings.
Otoscopy training enables healthcare workers to:
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Perform a systematic ear examination
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Recognise normal ear anatomy
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Identify common pathology
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Manage appropriately and refer when necessary
WHO-Aligned Approach
The Arclight otoscope and associated teaching materials align with World Health Organization (WHO) ear and hearing care frameworks, including the WHO TAP modules and ENT Training Manual. This supports integration of ear and hearing care into primary healthcare systems globally.
WHO Primary Ear and Hearing Care Training Manual.
Training Resources
To support workshops and clinical teaching sessions, we provide:
Instructional otoscopy video
Universal otoscopy handout
Guidance on video otoscopy for teaching and supervision
Research
A growing evidence base supports the Arclight otoscope and its widespread implementation. See the Research pages for more on the clinical validation and evidence of the Arclight device.