Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
[Summary of the practice guideline 'Hearing impairment' (first revision) from the Dutch College of General
L J Boomsma1, J A H Eekhof, T Wiersma
1Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap, afd. Richtlijnontwikkeling en Wetenschap, Postbus 3231, 3502 GE Utrecht. l.boomsma@nhg-nl.org
Insights
The revised Dutch guideline for hearing impairment improves neonatal screening, significantly reducing false positives for perceptive hearing loss. It guides general practitioners in identifying adults who will benefit from and use hearing aids.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Public Health
- General Practice
Context:
- Revised Dutch practice guideline for hearing impairment issued by the College of General Practitioners.
- Updated neonatal screening protocols aim to decrease false-positive diagnoses of perceptive hearing loss.
- Expanded diagnostic tools for adults necessitate proactive general practitioner involvement.
Purpose:
- To outline the modifications in the updated 'Hearing impairment' practice guideline.
- To guide general practitioners in managing patients with hearing impairment.
- To assist in selecting adult patients who are likely to benefit from and utilize hearing aids.
Summary:
- The revised guideline incorporates neonatal screening, leading to fewer false-positive perceptive hearing loss diagnoses.
- It emphasizes an active role for general practitioners in addressing adult hearing impairment.
- The guideline facilitates the identification of suitable candidates for hearing aids, promoting their adoption.
Impact:
- Reduced incidence of false-positive diagnoses in neonatal hearing impairment screening.
- Improved patient selection for hearing aid interventions in adults.
- Enhanced role of general practitioners in audiological care and hearing aid utilization.
Abstract:
The Dutch College of General Practitioners recently issued a revised version of the practice guideline 'Hearing impairment'. The modification of the screening for hearing impairment, which now takes place in neonates, has resulted in a much lower number of false-positive diagnoses of perceptive hearing loss than under the previous version of the practice guideline. The expanded diagnostic possibilities for adults, whether or not implemented by the patients themselves, demand an active approach from the general practitioner towards patients with impaired hearing. This guideline helps general practitioners to select patients that will truly benefit from a hearing aid and that will also be more likely to use one. The general practitioner can play an important role by stimulating patients to be referred for a hearing aid.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Hearing
01:19Standards of Care II