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Hearing Aid Uptake in Children with Unilateral Microtia and Canal Atresia: A Comparison between a Tertiary Center and
Todd Kanzara1, Alasdair Ford2, Elizabeth Fleming2
1Department of Otolaryngology, Arrowe Park Hospital, Birkenhead, United Kingdom.
Insights
Children with congenital unilateral conductive hearing loss (CUCHL) are more likely to trial and use hearing aids when managed in tertiary centers, suggesting potential health inequalities in peripheral care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Audiology
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Congenital unilateral conductive hearing loss (CUCHL) encompasses unilateral microtia and canal atresia.
- Effective management strategies for CUCHL are crucial for pediatric hearing outcomes.
- Understanding hearing aid trialing and uptake is vital for optimizing care pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review hearing aid trialing and uptake in children diagnosed with CUCHL.
- To compare outcomes between tertiary and peripheral audiology services.
- To identify factors influencing hearing aid adoption in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for patients with CUCHL.
- Data collected from a shared audiology database at a tertiary children's hospital.
- Analysis of hearing aid trial initiation and continued use based on service location.
Main Results:
- Of 38 patients with CUCHL, 42% reported no subjective hearing complaints.
- Hearing aid trialing rates were higher in tertiary centers (83%) compared to peripheral centers (46%).
- Continued hearing aid use was significantly greater in tertiary centers (58%) versus peripheral centers (27%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric patients with CUCHL demonstrate higher rates of hearing aid trial and sustained use when managed within tertiary care settings.
- Disparities in hearing aid adoption between tertiary and peripheral services may indicate health inequalities.
- Standardized management protocols or centralized care models for CUCHL could improve consistency and access to audiological interventions.
Objectives:
To review the trialing and uptake of hearing aids in children with unilateral microtia or canal atresia, known collectively as congenital unilateral conductive hearing loss (CUCHL), observed in a tertiary hospital and local peripheral services.
Materials And Methods:
A retrospective review of medical records for patients with CUCHL was conducted using data from a shared audiology database at a tertiary children's hospital.
Results:
We identified 45 patients with CUCHL and excluded seven of them due to missing data. Of the 38 patients, 16 (16/38, 42%) did not have any subjective hearing complaints. Furthermore, 32% (12/38) of patients attended audiology at a tertiary centre and 83% (10/12) from this group trialled a hearing aid. In comparison, 46% (12/46) whose audiology care was delivered peripherally trialled aiding. Of the patients from the tertiary center, 58% (7/12) are still using a hearing aid compared to 27% (7/26) of patients from peripheral centers.
Conclusion:
Our analysis shows that patients with CUCHL are more likely to try hearing aids and continue using them if their audiology care is in a tertiary center. Allowing for a small sample size, this may indicate a health inequality. Agreeing on minimum standards for the management of patients with CUCHL or managing them in a designated center could increase consistency.
