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Implicit bias in audiology and wider healthcare

What is implicit bias and how might it affect patient outcomes in hearing healthcare? Yovina Khiroya provides insight into the terminology and the effect on people and service delivery. As much as possible within healthcare, we try to reduce implicit...

Understanding the NAL-NL3 Prescription System: a new era of personalised hearing aid fitting

The NAL-NL3 system marks a transformative step in hearing aid fitting, shifting from a one-size-fits-most prescription to a modular, patient-centred approach. Developed by the National Acoustic Laboratories, this new system integrates a core audiogram-based prescription with targeted modules to address...

Breaking barriers in Uganda: the story of Elaine Mukaaya

More than 9% of sub-Saharan Africa’s one billion people live with disabling hearing loss, with children having among the highest rates of childhood hearing loss in the world [1]. Sadly, in concordance with the inverse care law – proposed by...

Mindfulness meditation versus relaxation therapy for tinnitus

Tinnitus, defined by McFadden as “a conscious experience of sound that originates in the head of its owner, without an external acoustic source”, has a high prevalence and variable psychological impact. It results from maladaptation of the brain to a...

How best to manage single-sided deafness?

Nowadays there is a plethora of options for patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) including: Bluetooth contralateral routing of signal (CROS) aids; in-the-ear bone conduction hearing aids (TransEar); intra-oral bone conduction aids (SoundBite) and bone-anchored technologies (BAHA). Unilateral cochlear implantation is...

Damage to the cochlear nucleus with electrocautery to the cochlear nerve

This study is of importance to neurotologists and neurosurgeons. It is unclear why patients with NF2 have poorer outcomes with an auditory brainstem implant compared to non-tumour patients. This effect is postulated to be due to damage to certain cells...

Bone bridge conduction device for patients with bilateral microtia-atresia

Management of microtia-atresia requires a multidisciplinary approach. Children normally require bone conduction hearing aid devices very early in life to improve and facilitate speech and language development. At a later stage, when the cranial bones have strengthened and become thicker,...

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin

Paediatric Audiologist, Natalie Stephenson, shares her experience working with children and young people, the impact of lockdown and the value of patient-centred care, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Am I glad that I know The Gruffalo off by heart? Yes, I...

An idiot’s guide to the Ministry of Health

Neville Chamberlain on an ill-judged charm offensive. Now I like to consider myself a well brought up sort of chap, and was always taught never to bring up religion, politics or (heaven forfend!) a lady’s name at the dinner table....

How to identify and support adults with auditory processing disorder: a focus on low-gain devices and auditory training

Some adults struggle with hearing in noise despite normal audiograms. Tools like the HHIA, low-gain devices and auditory training can help identify and support these cases. In this article, Angela Alexander and Fatima Abbas use a case study to discuss...

What is balloon eustachian tuboplasty (BET)?

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is the result of a combination of factors that interfere with the mucosal functional or cartilaginous structures. Failure to open the eustachian tubes can cause aural pain, pressure in the ears, muffled hearing, crackling/popping sounds in...

What’s new in auditory processing?

Auditory processing disorder (APD) has had a controversial history, stemming mainly from lack of scientific rigor and accepted clinical definition. That situation is now changing. Driven by the huge number of people with unaddressed listening difficulties, basic discoveries in neuroscience,...