Sam Harkus1, Mr Jason Gavrilis2, Ms Jessma Nash2, Ms Meagan Ward2, Dr Isabel O’Keeffe2, Dr Jess Monaghan2, Ms Vivienne Marnane2, Ms Letitia Campbell3, Mr Trumaine Rankmore4, Mr Luke Austin1, Mr Reza Mazloumi2, Dr Viji Easwar2
1Hearing Australia, Macquarie University, Australia, 2National Acoustic Laboratories, Macquarie University, Australia, 3Kalwun Development Corporation, Gold Coast, Australia, 4University of Newcastle , Newcastle , Australia
Biography:
Sam is a non-Indigenous audiologist, living on Gadigal land in Sydney, NSW. Sam has worked with Hearing Australia in clinical and project roles, and in research at the National Acoustic Laboratories. The common thread running through this work is equitable access to ear health and hearing care for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Abstract
Background
At any time, 50-90% of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have OM, 10% of whom have it persistently. Persistent OM (pOM) affects hearing, listening, communication, and wellbeing, future literacy and learning. Systematic surveillance in primary healthcare is essential, using measures with known accuracy, appropriate to the condition and population. New, national, primary health Ear Health Check consensus recommendations for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children include asking about parents/caregivers concerns and screening listening skills. However, there was a need for accuracy data for both, as they pertain to pOM-related hearing loss and this group of children.
Method
With ethical approvals, we accessed de-identified retrospective Hearing Australia clinical data for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. We identified children with longer-term data, and a comparison group of those without. We analysed relationships between PLUM listening skills scores and hearing level/duration, and calculated accuracy for identifying longer-term hearing status. We also investigated how parent/caregiver concern relates to PLUM and other Check components.
Results
Both the PLUM and parent/caregiver concern have predictive value. The PLUM most strongly reflects longer-term hearing status and is the only Ear Check component to give insight into duration of loss. For best accuracy, subjective and objective measures must be combined.
Outcomes
We have produced first data on accuracy of the PLUM at identifying longer-term OM-related hearing status in young Aboriginal children, using longer-term data to do so, and detailed evidence on associations between Aboriginal parents’/caregivers’ concern and their child’s clinical results.