Hearing aids for otitis media with effusion: Do children use them?
Richard Wei Chern Gan1, Parisa Overton2, Claire Benton2
1Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
Insights
Many children referred for hearing aids for otitis media with effusion (OME) do not receive them, often because their hearing loss has resolved. However, children fitted with hearing aids for OME show good utilization rates.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Otology
- Hearing Health
Background:
- Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common condition in children, potentially leading to hearing loss.
- ENT surgeons may refer children with OME for audiology assessment for hearing aid consideration.
- The effectiveness of hearing aids for OME is contingent on consistent use by the child.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the proportion of children referred for hearing aids for OME who actually receive them.
- To assess the utilization patterns of hearing aids among children fitted for OME.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of children referred to audiology for OME between November 2013 and August 2014.
- Inclusion of 70 referrals from ENT and 5 from direct access audiology.
- Analysis of reasons for not fitting hearing aids and patterns of hearing aid use.
Main Results:
- Approximately one-third (34.7%) of pediatric audiology referrals were for OME hearing aid consideration.
- Over half (52.9%) of referred children did not receive hearing aids, primarily due to resolved or asymptomatic hearing loss.
- Of 38 children fitted with hearing aids for OME, the majority (36/38) used them, with varied but generally fair utilization.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of children referred for OME hearing aids do not ultimately require them by the time of audiology assessment.
- Hearing aids are generally well-accepted and utilized by children fitted for OME.
- Paediatric audiology services play a crucial role in appropriate hearing aid management for OME.
Introduction:
ENT surgeons may refer children with otitis media with effusion (OME) to audiology for consideration of hearing aids. They are an option for the treatment of OME, but are only effective if the child actually wears them. Our study investigated what proportion of children referred for hearing aids actually receive them, and whether children use them.
Method:
Retrospective study of children referred to audiology from November 2013 to August 2014, including 70 children referred by ENT for hearing aids for OME, plus a further 5 children with OME given hearing aids through direct access audiology service.
Results:
During the study period, there were 202 referrals of children to audiology, of which 70 (34.7%) were for consideration of hearing aids for OME. Of these 70 referred children, 37 (52.9%) were not fitted with hearing aids due to normal audiometry (23), asymptomatic mild hearing loss (7), nonattendance (3), clinical decision to just monitor hearing (1), parental decline (2), and unrecorded reason (1). A total of 38 children (including direct access patients) were fitted with hearing aids for OME. Majority (36/38) of children issued aids used them, 16 all day, 7 only at school, 1 only at home, 3 only when needed, and 9 used them for an unspecified duration; 1 child's use of hearing aids was unrecorded, and 1 child refused to use it. 21 were fitted bilaterally and 17 unilaterally. 37 were behind the ear aids and 1 a BAHA softband.
Conclusions:
A third of referrals to paediatric audiology by ENT are for consideration of hearing aids for OME. Only about half of children referred to audiology for hearing aids for OME actually receive them, as by the time they see audiology the hearing loss has frequently resolved or is asymptomatic so that aiding is unwarranted. Once fitted, they appear to be well accepted. Hearing aids have fair utilization in children fitted with them for OME.
