The Birmingham bone anchored hearing aid programme: referrals, selection, rehabilitation, philosophy and adult...

The Birmingham bone anchored hearing aid team is part of the Birmingham osseointegrated programme. In the first seven years of its existence it has received 309 referrals. Twenty-six per cent had suffered a congenital conductive hearing loss and 74 per cent had an acquired conductive hearing loss; the majority secondary to chronic suppurative otitis media. This report is of 68 out of 106 adults wearing bone anchored hearing aids (BAHAs). Ninety-eight per cent showed audiological improvement with the congenital group demonstrating marginally the best free-field thresholds and speech discrimination. Questionnaire data as to the patient experience confirms the benefits especially hearing in noise, and comfort, and the vast majority were more satisfied with the bone anchored hearing aid than their previous aid.