Patient-Centered Approaches in Adult Sinusitis Care

Patient education and shared decision-making are emerging as central pillars in adult sinusitis care, redirecting practices away from routine antibiotic prescriptions and indiscriminate testing.

In response to persistent diagnostic blind spots and antibiotic overuse, the 2025 adult sinusitis guidelines provide updated protocols for diagnostics and treatment, introducing guideline advancements in diagnostic approaches that aim to sharpen clinical judgment and reduce unnecessary imaging and endoscopies.

By embedding structured education about symptom duration and severity, the guidelines on patient education and shared decision-making foster dialogues that calibrate expectations, distinguish viral from bacterial sinusitis, and reinforce judicious antibiotic stewardship. This evolution is further supported by the diagnostic frameworks introduced above, which counsel clinicians to reserve ancillary testing such as CT imaging and sinus cultures for cases where clinical indicators strongly suggest complications or chronic disease progression, ensuring that sinusitis management aligns with patient-specific clinical severity.

The guidelines also identify watchful waiting as a recommended strategy for mild to moderate uncomplicated acute bacterial sinusitis, aligning treatment intensity with clinical severity to curb antibiotic resistance 6 a principle reinforced in the AAO-HNSF guideline summary.

Looking ahead, embedding these patient-centered approaches within electronic health records and decision-support tools may accelerate adoption, while further study is needed on diverse patient populations and the long-term adherence to watchful waiting protocols. Real-world adoption challenges and nuanced patient preferences represent fertile ground for future research and quality improvement efforts.

Key Takeaways:

• The 2025 adult sinusitis guidelines prioritize accurate diagnostics and judicious testing.
• Patient education is vital in reducing antibiotic misuse and enhancing care quality.
• Watchful waiting is recommended for managing mild to moderate uncomplicated acute bacterial sinusitis.
• Future research should address unresolved areas in real-world implementation.