Implementation Of Hearing Screening Programs Research Articles

Perspectives of newborn hearing screening in resource constrained settings

Newborn hearing screening is an effective strategy for early identification of hearing loss in the newborn which result in early intervention and best outcome. However implementing universal screening strategy is a challenge in many resource constrained settings. There are various limitations towards successful implementation of hearing screening program in the developing countries. The cost effectiveness of the screening program also needs to be considered in a resource constrained settings. We attempt to provide a viewpoint that can be potentially helpful for the successful implementation of hearing screening in a resource constrained settings of the developing countries.

Knowledge and attitudes of early childhood development practitioners towards hearing health in poor communities

ObjectiveWithin the educational sector of low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), formal and informal early childhood development (ECD) centers are often the first point of contact for majority of children. Since early hearing detection services are mostly absent in LMICs, these ECD centers may serve as the first point of access to screenings for these children. ECD practitioner awareness regarding hearing and hearing loss is essential for the successful implementation of hearing screening programs. This study thus investigated the current knowledge and attitudes of ECD practitioners towards childhood hearing loss in a community representative of typical LMIC contexts. MethodPurposive sampling was used to identify ECD centers and participants across a community. Thereafter, a cross-sectional quantitative survey (23 items) was adminstered amongst 82 ECD practitioners. ResultsMore than 80% of ECD practitioners correctly identified genetics and ear infections as etiological factors of hearing loss. Gaps in knowledge regarding identification techniques for children 3–6 years of age and the impact of hearing loss in the classroom were evident. ECD personnel's duration of experience had a significant effect on overall knowledge and attitude (p < .05; F (1,53) = 8.68). ECD personnel displayed a positive attitude towards children receiving a hearing test (88.3%) and almost all participants indicated the need for more information regarding hearing loss (93.5%). ConclusionsThis study demonstrated a general readiness amongst ECD practitioners for the implementation of ECD hearing screening programs in LMICs, however additional information and guidelines are needed to improve practitioner knowledge and attitudes.

0070 The trend in the prevalence of childhood hearing impairment in Taiwan and its implications

ObjectivesChildhood hearing impairment (CHI) is a major developmental disability, but data at the national level are limited, especially those on the trends over time. We conducted a study to assess...

Results obtained with a low cost software-based audiometer for hearing screening.

Summary Introduction: The implementation of hearing screening programs can be facilitated by reducing operating costs, including the cost of equipment. The Telessaúde (TS) audiometer is a low-cost, software-based, and easy-to-use piece of equipment for conducting audiometric screening. Aim: To evaluate the TS audiometer for conducting audiometric screening. Methods: A prospective randomized study was performed. Sixty subjects, divided into those who did not have (group A, n = 30) and those who had otologic complaints (group B, n = 30), underwent audiometric screening with conventional and TS audiometers in a randomized order. Pure tones at 25 dB HL were presented at frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. A “fail” result was considered when the individual failed to respond to at least one of the stimuli. Pure-tone audiometry was also performed on all participants. The concordance of the results of screening with both audiometers was evaluated. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of screening with the TS audiometer were calculated. Results: For group A, 100% of the ears tested passed the screening. For group B, “pass” results were obtained in 34.2% (TS) and 38.3% (conventional) of the ears tested. The agreement between procedures (TS vs. conventional) ranged from 93% to 98%. For group B, screening with the TS audiometer showed 95.5% sensitivity, 90.4% sensitivity, and positive and negative predictive values equal to 94.9% and 91.5%, respectively. Conclusions: The results of the TS audiometer were similar to those obtained with the conventional audiometer, indicating that the TS audiometer can be used for audiometric screening.

Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in the Assessment of Auditory Neuropathy: Two Case Studies

Infants with auditory neuropathy and possible hearing impairment are being identified at very young ages through the implementation of hearing screening programs. The diagnosis is commonly based on evidence of normal cochlear function but abnormal brainstem function. This lack of normal brainstem function is highly problematic when prescribing amplification in young infants because prescriptive formulae require the input of hearing thresholds that are normally estimated from auditory brainstem responses to tonal stimuli. Without this information, there is great uncertainty surrounding the final fitting. Cortical auditory evoked potentials may, however, still be evident and reliably recorded to speech stimuli presented at conversational levels. The case studies of two infants are presented that demonstrate how these higher order electrophysiological responses may be utilized in the audiological management of some infants with auditory neuropathy.

The Relationship between Obligatory Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials (CAEPs) and Functional Measures in Young Infants

Finding ways to evaluate the success of hearing aid fittings in young infants has increased in importance with the implementation of hearing screening programs. Cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP) can be recorded in infants and provides evidence for speech detection at the cortical level. The validity of this technique as a tool of hearing aid evaluation needs, however, to be demonstrated. The present study examined the relationship between the presence/absence of CAEPs to speech stimuli and the outcomes of a parental questionnaire in young infants who were fitted with hearing aids. The presence/absence of responses was determined by an experienced examiner as well as by a statistical measure, Hotelling's T(2). A statistically significant correlation between CAEPs and questionnaire scores was found using the examiner's grading (rs = 0.45) and using the statistical grading (rs = 0.41), and there was reasonably good agreement between traditional response detection methods and the statistical analysis.