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Patient-reported outcome measures: what do the people say?

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) assess and quantify health outcomes from the patient’s perspective. Defining these questionnaires as outcomes indicates that they are psychometrically sensitive to change. This article describes three PROMS: namely the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS),...

Does the appearance, texture, and flavour of food affect how we swallow?

Texture modification and the use of thickened fluids are well-known strategies used to facilitate swallowing in people with dysphagia. However, some controversy exists around thickeners and their possible negative impact on hydration and medication absorption. This paper considers other properties...

The ‘My Hearing Explained’ tool: audiologist and client perceptions

The study notes that the pure tone audiogram has been the primary clinical and counselling tool used by clinicians to assess and describe hearing thresholds to individuals and families since 1922. The Ida Institutes, ‘My Hearing Explained’ tool has become...

Hear me out – tiny steroid implants for fighting meningitis-induced deafness

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common neurological complication of pneumococcal meningitis. Bacterial infiltration into the inner ear triggers inflammation, leading to cochlear fibrosis and sclerosis – damage that, in over a third of cases, affects both ears. Current Infectious...

Cognitive development in children with cochlear implants

This systematic review investigates the comparative cognitive outcomes in children using bilateral versus unilateral cochlear implants, as well as those using cochlear implants versus hearing aids. The review synthesises findings from 30 studies involving a total of 11,986 children and...

Family-centred early hearing detection and intervention

This mixed-methods study provides important insight into how caregivers in South Africa experience early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) services. Using both survey data and narrative interviews, the authors explore how well current services reflect the principles of family-centred early...

Tinnitus apps (revisited)

If you’ve experienced an uptick in the number of your patients complaining of tinnitus lately, you are not alone. In fact, there is some evidence that the social and emotional strain of the ongoing pandemic many exacerbate tinnitus for existing...