Association between hearing loss and deprivation among Welsh adults: a cross-sectional observational study.

Objective: To index levels of hearing loss with respect to area-level indices of deprivation in a Welsh population.

Design: A cross-sectional observational study of all adults (aged >18) that attended Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board audiology services between 2016 and 2018. Service access, first hearing aid fitting appointment rates and hearing loss at time of first hearing aid provision were used to index population hearing loss versus area-level indices of deprivation based on patient postcode.

Prudent healthcare in practice: integration of audiology services into primary care.

Background: Swansea Bay University Health Board (SB UHB) has been trialling a primary care audiology pathway since 2016. The pathway enables patients with hearing, tinnitus or wax problems to be triaged directly to the audiology department acting as the first point of contact, freeing up general practitioners, Ear, Nose and Throat consultants and nurses to see patients with more complex health conditions.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of the SB UHB primary care audiology pathway.