scholarly journals Profound Hearing Loss: Addressing Barriers to Hearing Healthcare

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (04) ◽  
pp. 428-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Pratt

AbstractThe impact of profound hearing loss on infants and adults is variable and greatly influenced by improved audition derived from hearing aids and cochlear implants. However, barriers to healthcare, hearing healthcare in particular, can offset the benefits provided by these sensory devices. Common barriers include cost, location, availability of trained professionals, acceptance of the hearing loss, language and cultural differences, secondary disabilities, and mental health issues. These barriers and their distinct presentations vary somewhat by age, language, and where people live (urban vs. rural), and can interfere with receiving testing and devices in a timely manner. They also can limit auditory, speech and language therapies, and interfere with acceptance of the hearing loss and devices. Rehabilitation should focus on eliminating or reducing the adverse impact of these barriers on patients and their families. Some of which can be done through professional training and multidisciplinary activities, counseling, and community outreach.

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (03) ◽  
pp. 169-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy S. Halpin ◽  
Kay Y. Smith ◽  
Judith E. Widen ◽  
Mark E. Chertoff

Background: Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) was introduced in Kansas in 1999. Prior to UNHS a small percentage of newborns were screened for and identified with hearing loss. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of UNHS on a local early intervention (EI) program for young children with hearing loss. Research Design: This was a retrospective study based on the chart review of children enrolled in the EI program during target years before and after the establishment of UNHS. Study Sample: Charts for 145 children were reviewed. Data Collection and Analysis: The chart review targeted the following aspects of the EI program: caseload size, percentage of caseload identified by UNHS, age of diagnosis, age of enrollment in EI, degree of hearing loss, etiology of hearing loss, late onset of hearing loss, age of hearing aid fit, percentage of children fit with hearing aids by 6 mo, percentage of children with profound hearing loss with cochlear implants, and percentage of children with additional disabilities. Results: Changes in the EI program that occurred after UNHS were increases in caseload size, percentage of caseload identified by UNHS, percentage of children fit with hearing aids by 6 mo of age, and percentage of children with profound hearing loss with cochlear implants. There were decreases in age of diagnosis, age of enrollment in EI, and age of hearing aid fit. Before UNHS, the majority of children had severe and profound hearing loss; after UNHS there were more children with mild and moderate hearing loss. The percentage of known etiology and late-onset hearing loss was approximately the same before and after UNHS, as was the percentage of children with additional disabilities. Conclusion: UNHS had a positive impact on caseload size, age of diagnosis, age of enrollment in EI, and age of hearing aid fit. The percentage of the caseload identified in the newborn period was about 25% before UNHS and over 80% after its implementation. After UNHS, the EI caseload included as many children with mild and moderate hearing loss as with severe and profound loss. By the last reporting year in the study (academic year 2005–2006) all children with profound hearing losses had cochlear implants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vu Dinh Thiem ◽  
Lai Thu Ha ◽  
Phan Huu Phuc

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on a group of 461 hearing impaired children who were diagnosed and treated at the Audiology and Speech language therapy centre at the National Children Hospital from January 2018 to August 2019. The purpose of the study is to assess the distribution of children by age group, gender, degree of hearing loss, high risk factors of hearing loss, and status of intervention in this group of children. Data were taken by using questionnaires and analyzed using Stata software. The results showed in the study group, there were 281 boys and 180 girls. Children with profound hearing loss have the highest rate with 58.4%, followed by the severe (11,9%) and the moderate to severe (6,9%). ANSD accounts for 16.7%. The majority of children with hearing loss in both ears (90,5%), only 9,5% children with hearing loss in one ear. The most common age at which children with hearing loss are detected is 13-24 months (33,2%). Among ANSD children, 73,6% had a history of jaundice in the newborn period. Only 17,6% of children had hearing aids and 8,9% of children with severe to profound hearing loss had cochlear implants.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Y. C. Ching ◽  
Linda Cupples

Children with hearing loss typically underachieve in reading, possibly as a result of their underdeveloped phonological skills. This study addressed the questions of (1)whether or not the development of phonological awareness (PA) is influenced by the degree of hearing loss and (2) whether or not performance of children with severe-profound hearing loss differed according to the hearing devices used. Drawing on data collected as part of the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI,www.outcomes.nal.gov.au) study, the authors found that sound-matching scores of children with hearing loss ranging from mild to profound degrees were, on average, within the normal range. The degree of hearing loss did not have a significant impact on scores, but there was a non-significant tendency for the proportion of children who achieved zero scores to increase with increase in hearing loss. For children with severe hearing loss, there was no significant group difference in scores among children who used bilateral hearing aids, bimodal fitting (a cochlear implant and a hearing aid in contralateral ears), and bilateral cochlear implants. Although there is a need for further prospective research, professionals have an important role in targeting PA skills for rehabilitation of young children with hearing loss.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (03) ◽  
pp. 260-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Y.C. Ching ◽  
Tian Kar Quar ◽  
Earl E. Johnson ◽  
Philip Newall ◽  
Mridula Sharma

Background: An important goal of providing amplification to children with hearing loss is to ensure that hearing aids are adjusted to match targets of prescriptive procedures as closely as possible. The Desired Sensation Level (DSL) v5 and the National Acoustic Laboratories’ prescription for nonlinear hearing aids, version 1 (NAL-NL1) procedures are widely used in fitting hearing aids to children. Little is known about hearing aid fitting outcomes for children with severe or profound hearing loss. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prescribed and measured gain of hearing aids fit according to the NAL-NL1 and the DSL v5 procedure for children with moderately severe to profound hearing loss; and to examine the impact of choice of prescription on predicted speech intelligibility and loudness. Research Design: Participants were fit with Phonak Naida V SP hearing aids according to the NAL-NL1 and DSL v5 procedures. The Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) and estimated loudness were calculated using published models. Study Sample: The sample consisted of 16 children (30 ears) aged between 7 and 17 yr old. Data Collection and Analysis: The measured hearing aid gains were compared with the prescribed gains at 50 (low), 65 (medium), and 80 dB SPL (high) input levels. The goodness of fit-to-targets was quantified by calculating the average root-mean-square (RMS) error of the measured gain compared with prescriptive gain targets for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz. The significance of difference between prescriptions for hearing aid gains, SII, and loudness was examined by performing analyses of variance. Correlation analyses were used to examine the relationship between measures. Results: The DSL v5 prescribed significantly higher overall gain than the NAL-NL1 procedure for the same audiograms. For low and medium input levels, the hearing aids of all children fit with NAL-NL1 were within 5 dB RMS of prescribed targets, but 33% (10 ears) deviated from the DSL v5 targets by more than 5 dB RMS on average. For high input level, the hearing aid fittings of 60% and 43% of ears deviated by more than 5 dB RMS from targets of NAL-NL1 and DSL v5, respectively. Greater deviations from targets were associated with more severe hearing loss. On average, the SII was higher for DSL v5 than for NAL-NL1 at low input level. No significant difference in SII was found between prescriptions at medium or high input level, despite greater loudness for DSL v5 than for NAL-NL1. Conclusions: Although targets between 0.25 and 2 kHz were well matched for both prescriptions in commercial hearing aids, gain targets at 4 kHz were matched for NAL-NL1 only. Although the two prescriptions differ markedly in estimated loudness, they resulted in comparable predicted speech intelligibility for medium and high input levels.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31
Author(s):  
Lyn Robertson

Abstract Learning to listen and speak are well-established preludes for reading, writing, and succeeding in mainstream educational settings. Intangibles beyond the ubiquitous test scores that typically serve as markers for progress in children with hearing loss are embedded in descriptions of the educational and social development of four young women. All were diagnosed with severe-to-profound or profound hearing loss as toddlers, and all were fitted with hearing aids and given listening and spoken language therapy. Compiling stories across the life span provides insights into what we can be doing in the lives of young children with hearing loss.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Ye ◽  
Dawei Zhu ◽  
Siyuan Chen ◽  
Xuefeng Shi ◽  
Rui Gong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hearing loss is quite prevalent and can be related to people’s quality of life. To our knowledge, there are limited studies assessing the efficacy of hearing interventions on quality of life in adults. Therefore, we aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the impact and cost-effectiveness of community-based hearing rehabilitation on quality of life among Chinese adults with hearing loss. Methods/design In this two-arm feasibility study, participants aged 16 and above with some degree of hearing loss (n = 464) will be recruited from Linyi City, Shandong Province. They are randomly assigned to the treatment group or the control group. Those in the treatment group are prescribed with hearing aids, while those in the control group receive no intervention. Reinstruction in use of devices is provided for the treatment group during booster visits held 12 months post-randomization or unscheduled interim visits when necessary. Data are collected at baseline and the follow-up 20 months later. The primary outcome is changes in quality of life over a 20-month study period. Secondary outcomes include sub-dimensions in quality of life, physical functioning, chronic diseases, cognitive function, depression, social support, hospitalizations, falls, and healthcare costs. Finally, we will evaluate whether hearing aids intervention is cost-effective to apply in a large scale. Discussion The trial is designed to evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of a community-based rehabilitation intervention on quality of life among Chinese adults with hearing loss. We hope that it would help improve the well-being for Chinese adults and provide references in policy and practice for China and other countries. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900024739. Registered on 26 July 2019.


2009 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung Thai-Van ◽  
Evelyne Veuillet ◽  
Arnaud Norena ◽  
Jeanne Guiraud ◽  
Lionel Collet

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 233121651988761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Courtois ◽  
Vincent Grimaldi ◽  
Hervé Lissek ◽  
Philippe Estoppey ◽  
Eleftheria Georganti

The auditory system allows the estimation of the distance to sound-emitting objects using multiple spatial cues. In virtual acoustics over headphones, a prerequisite to render auditory distance impression is sound externalization, which denotes the perception of synthesized stimuli outside of the head. Prior studies have found that listeners with mild-to-moderate hearing loss are able to perceive auditory distance and are sensitive to externalization. However, this ability may be degraded by certain factors, such as non-linear amplification in hearing aids or the use of a remote wireless microphone. In this study, 10 normal-hearing and 20 moderate-to-profound hearing-impaired listeners were instructed to estimate the distance of stimuli processed with different methods yielding various perceived auditory distances in the vicinity of the listeners. Two different configurations of non-linear amplification were implemented, and a novel feature aiming to restore a sense of distance in wireless microphone systems was tested. The results showed that the hearing-impaired listeners, even those with a profound hearing loss, were able to discriminate nearby and far sounds that were equalized in level. Their perception of auditory distance was however more contracted than in normal-hearing listeners. Non-linear amplification was found to distort the original spatial cues, but no adverse effect on the ratings of auditory distance was evident. Finally, it was shown that the novel feature was successful in allowing the hearing-impaired participants to perceive externalized sounds with wireless microphone systems.


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