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Prudent audiology

Introduction In January 2014, Professor Mark Drakeford, Minister for Health and Social Services, defined Prudent Healthcare as, “Healthcare that fits the needs and circumstances of patients and actively avoids wasteful care that is not to the patient’s benefit.” ‘Prudent’ healthcare...

Privacy and security in connected hearing healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced audiology services across the globe to find new ways of working. This has resulted in a rapid increase in the uptake of remote care and, with it, some new privacy and security considerations. Connected hearing...

A small company’s perspective

In this article, we hear from Alan McNulty, Director from Sheffmed, an SME (Small – Medium Enterprise), who have supplied surgical instruments, consumables and video systems to ENT clinicians for over 12 years. Alan outlines some of the choices and...

What’s new in implantable devices? New indications in cochlear implantation

For over 40 years, cochlear implant procedures have steadily increased. Outcomes for patients are improving as a result of modified surgical techniques, a wider portfolio of electrode arrays, advances in programming strategies, access to improved technology and a better understanding...

Video-augmented consent in thyroid surgery

Short, procedure-specific thyroid surgery videos improve patient understanding, standardise risk discussions and support informed consent. Background Informed consent is an important principle which underpins modern surgical practice. Patients are given information regarding their medical condition, discussion of the proposed treatment,...

The outer ear in the visual arts

The ear is an exceptional organ, and quite rightly takes its place in the visual arts, as described by Albert Mudry, who takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the appearance of the ear and its depictions in art throughout...

Long-term outcomes of children and young people with cochlear implants

Introduction Profound childhood hearing loss has a huge impact on early communication skills, the acquisition of spoken language, and hence on educational attainments and employment prospects. Over the centuries, educators of the deaf attempted to overcome the challenge by using...

Hearing in middle-age: hearing impairment, tinnitus and hearing aid use in UK adults

Hearing loss has a well-documented adverse impact on emotional, social and physical well-being. In this article, Dr Piers Dawes from the University of Manchester gives an insight into his team’s recent work analysing the very large UK Biobank data set,...

Combined use of a hearing aid and a cochlear implant: a case study

When multi-channel cochlear implants (CIs) were first introduced in the 1980s, their use was restricted to people who derived no benefit from conventional amplification. Over the past three decades, however, the criteria for CIs has been relaxed considerably, and it...