Effectiveness and costs of a low-threshold hearing screening programme (HörGeist) for individuals with intellectual disabilities: protocol for a screening study

Effectiveness and costs of a low-threshold hearing screening programme (HörGeist) for individuals with intellectual disabilities: protocol for a screening study

IntroductionIndividuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often suffer from hearing loss, in most cases undiagnosed or inappropriately treated. The implementation of a programme of systematic hearing screening, diagnostics, therapy initiation or allocation and long-term monitoring within the livin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ open Vol. 13; no. 5; p. e070259
Main Authors: Schwarze, Katharina, Mathmann, Philipp, Schäfer, Karolin, Brannath, Werner, Höhne, Phillip-Hendrik, Altin, Sibel, Prein, Lukas, Naghipour, Awa, Zielonkowski, Susanna Marie, Wasmuth, Susanne, Kanaan, Oliver, am Zehnhoff-Dinnesen, Antoinette, Schwalen, Anna Sophia, Schotenröhr, Anna, Scharpenberg, Martin, Schlierenkamp, Sarah, Stuhrmann, Nicole, Lang-Roth, Ruth, Demir, Muhittin, Diekmann, Sandra, Neumann, Anja, Gietmann, Corinna, Neumann, Katrin
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 18-05-2023
BMJ Publishing Group LTD
BMJ Publishing Group
Series:Protocol
Subjects:
adult otolaryngology
Age
Audiology
Audiometry
Caregivers
Deafness
Dementia
developmental neurology & neurodisability
Down syndrome
Ear, Nose and Throat/Otolaryngology
health economics
Hearing
Hearing loss
Hearing Loss - diagnosis
Hearing protection
Humans
Intellectual disabilities
Intellectual Disability
Medical diagnosis
Medical screening
paediatric otolaryngology
Pediatrics
Quality of life
Rehabilitation
Social isolation
Special education
Special Olympics
Germany
adult otolaryngology
audiology
paediatric otolaryngology
developmental neurology & neurodisability
health economics
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Summary:IntroductionIndividuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often suffer from hearing loss, in most cases undiagnosed or inappropriately treated. The implementation of a programme of systematic hearing screening, diagnostics, therapy initiation or allocation and long-term monitoring within the living environments of individuals with ID (nurseries, schools, workshops, homes), therefore, seems beneficial.Methods and analysisThe study aims to assess the effectiveness and costs of a low-threshold screening programme for individuals with ID. Within this programme 1050 individuals with ID of all ages will undergo hearing screening and an immediate reference diagnosis in their living environment (outreach cohort). The recruitment of participants in the outreach group will take place within 158 institutions, for example, schools, kindergartens and places of living or work. If an individual fails the screening assessment, subsequent full audiometric diagnostics will follow and, if hearing loss is confirmed, initiation of therapy or referral to and monitoring of such therapy. A control cohort of 141 participants will receive an invitation from their health insurance provider via their family for the same procedure but within a clinic (clinical cohort). A second screening measurement will be performed with both cohorts 1 year later and the previous therapy outcome will be checked. It is hypothesised that this programme leads to a relevant reduction in the number of untreated or inadequately treated cases of hearing loss and strengthens the communication skills of the newly or better-treated individuals. Secondary outcomes include the age-dependent prevalence of hearing loss in individuals with ID, the costs associated with this programme, cost of illness before-and-after enrolment and modelling of the programme’s cost-effectiveness compared with regular care.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Review Board of the Medical Association of Westphalia-Lippe and the University of Münster (No. 2020-843 f-S). Participants or guardians will provide written informed consent. Findings will be disseminated through presentations, peer-reviewed journals and conferences.Trial registration numberDRKS00024804.
Bibliography:Protocol
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KS and PM are joint first authors.
CG and KN are joint senior authors.
ISSN:2044-6055
2044-6055
DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070259