SS08: HEARING SCREENING IN ADULTS

STRATEGIES OF INTERVENTION AFTER SCREENING FOR HEARING IN ADULTS/ELDERLY

Kramer SE (1), Davis A (2) Parazzini M (3), Thodi C (4), Smith P (2), Stephens D (5), Anteunis L (6), Grandori F (3 ).

(1) VU University Medical Center, Department of ENT/Audiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (2) University of Manchester, MRC Hearing and Communication Group, United Kingdom; (3) Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Milan, Italy; (4) CH & M Cyprus Audiology Center Interacoustics Ltd, Cyprus; (5) Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales; (6) Maastricht University Medical Centre, Dept. of ORL, Div. Audiology, The Netherlands.

One of the workpackages within AHEAD III focuses on interventions following screening for hearing in adult or elderly populations. The primary aim is to review and discuss existing data on the availability and effectiveness of interventions after screening. In the international literature,  different types of intervention after screening have been reported, even though the provision of hearing aids is the most common. An alternative intervention is referral to a professional (e.g. GP, ENT doctor, hearing aid dispenser). In this presentation, we will not only provide a review of the literature on interventions following screening, but will also raise a number of questions that ought to be considered, before any screening programme can be implemented. Examples are: “what do we aim to achieve with the intervention? When shall (an intervention after) screening be regarded as successful? Is there an increase in the number of people showing compliance with the advice given? Is there an increase in the uptake of hearing aids? Is the number of people whose disability reduced after screening AND intervention? An additional aim of this presentation is to suggest  interventions after screening other than those described above. Examples are: training in hearing tactics and/or speech-reading, notification of a professional or someone calling back (to facilitate the care plan). Finally, additional issues such as ‘different interventions for different age groups, or different types/degrees of hearing impairment will be discussed.