Maternal knowledge and attitudes to universal newborn hearing screening: Reviewing an established program.

Objectives: To facilitate early diagnosis of infants with hearing loss, a universal newborn hearing screening program (UNHS) has been implemented in Hong Kong's public hospitals for over a decade. However, there have been no known studies investigating parent attitudes to, and satisfaction with, UNHS since its launch in Hong Kong. The present study aimed to investigate knowledge of UNHS as well as infant hearing development, and attitudes and satisfaction with UNHS, in Hong Kong mothers with newborns.

Improving newborn hearing screening: Are automated auditory brainstem response ear inserts an effective option?

Objective: Universal newborn hearing screening is an established practice among Hong Kong public hospitals using a 2-stage automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) screening protocol. To enhance overall efficiency without sacrificing program accuracy, cost reduction in terms of replacing the initial ear coupler-based screening with a more economical ear insert-based screening procedure was considered. This study examined the utility of an insert-based AABR initial screening approach and the projected cost-effectiveness of a combined probe-based plus follow-up ear coupler AABR screening procedure.

Comparison of hearing thresholds obtained using pure-tone behavioral audiometry, the Cantonese Hearing in Noise Test (CHINT) and cortical evoked response audiometry.

Conclusion: Speech thresholds measured using Cantonese Hearing in Noise Test (CHINT) and cortical evoked response audiometry (CERA) thresholds were highly correlated with pure-tone behavioral results. Both tests are considered to provide good estimates of hearing thresholds and can be employed to confirm the degree of hearing loss in Cantonese-speaking communities.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how well a speech threshold obtained using a newly developed speech assessment tool (the CHINT) and CERA thresholds relate to pure-tone behavioral results and how the results compared in terms of their ability to predict hearing thresholds.

Occupational hearing loss: screening with distortion-product otoacoustic emissions.

Hearing assessment of applicants for occupational hearing loss compensation can be a time-consuming process. An accurate screening procedure that is sensitive to occupational hearing loss may have application in many situations. The present study developed distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) screening criteria to identify subjects likely to meet the Hong Kong requirements for occupational hearing loss compensation, namely a bilateral sensorineural loss > or = 40 dB HL (average of 1000, 2000 and 3000 Hz).

Accuracy of cortical evoked response audiometry in the identification of non-organic hearing loss.

Cortical evoked response audiometry (CERA) has been used to identify the presence of a non-organic component in cases where compensation for hearing disability is claimed. This study aims at verifying the magnitude of discrepancy between thresholds estimated by CERA and by pure-tone audiometry (PTA). Results from 204 claimants (408 ears) with reliable PTA and CERA records showed mean discrepancy values between PTA and CERAT of less than 5 dB at high frequencies.