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The role of metrics in studies of hearing and cognition

Introduction When perceiving sounds in real-world listening environments, older adults encounter several sources of degradation that can interfere with the perceptual process (Figure 1). Target signals (i.e. the sounds that a listener wants to focus on) have specific acoustic characteristics...

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...

The role of public health in addressing age-related hearing loss

Prevention and treatment of hearing loss needs to be viewed through a public health lens, but what does that look like? Kelly Reavis and colleagues explain the steps to addressing hearing healthcare from a public health perspective and why this...

Management of single-sided deafness in adults: a bone conduction solution

Single-sided deafness (SSD) presents a limited number of methods for management, and not all of them meet the patient’s expectations. The aim of this article is to set out the available bone-conduction treatment methods for managing single‑sided deafness in adults....

Rethinking tinnitus ‘care’: the role of digital solutions

Experiencing tinnitus can be very distressing and accessible care is limited. Digital therapeutics is one way of addressing these concerns, as described by Dr Bardy. Tinnitus presents a significant clinical challenge for various healthcare professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), ENTs...

Monstrous craws and horrid butchery: a concise history of thyroid surgery

Prior to the foundation of our speciality, thyroid surgery had a dubious reputation and universally dismal outcomes. Jenny Walton casts a critical eye over this dark chapter. Diseases of the thyroid gland have been referenced in historic texts for well...

Emerging robotic systems for head and neck surgery

As of December 2020, seven robotic surgical systems have received approval for use in different jurisdictions, and many more task-specific robots are in the pipeline. Jack Faulkner takes us through what’s on the horizon for head and neck cancer surgery....

ENT and evidence-based medicine: How do they benefit each other?

How do we assess evidence, and how should ENT surgeons use EBM? Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the practice of medicine based upon high quality scientific research. There are several formal definitions of EBM, the most widely quoted being that of...

Cochlear implants: recipient stories

The most powerful evidence for the remarkable achievements made with cochlear implants over 40 years comes from the life-changing, personal stories of those who have benefited from the technology. James Rylance I first noticed a problem with hearing when I...