Virtual clinic for hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus: initial experience of 210 cases.

Abstract

Patients with hearing loss and tinnitus face lengthy waits to be seen in the ENT clinic. SHOEBOX Audiometry is an iPad-based, audiometric screening tool. A virtual hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus clinic involving an ENT specialist virtually assessing cases based on the SHOEBOX audiogram, a patient symptom questionnaire and the primary care referral letter were implemented. This service evaluation explored the outcomes of the virtual clinic in reducing the need for a face-to-face ENT appointment. This was a retrospective service evaluation of the first six months of the virtual hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus clinic. A total of 210 patients were included: 34.8 per cent (73) were discharged without requiring audiologist assessment or an ENT appointment, 51.9 per cent (109) required formal audiological assessment, 36.7 per cent (77) required imaging and only 13.8 per cent (29) required a face-to-face ENT appointment. A virtual hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus clinic minimised the number of patients requiring a traditional face-to-face clinic appointment within ENT.