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The article discusses the World Health Organization (WHO) grades of hearing impairment and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as of 2019. Topics covered include the percentage calibration of difficulty degree, and the limitations of the disabling description and of classifications based only on pure-tone audiometry. Also noted is the recommended aligning of WHO hearing impairment estimates with the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) group's published data.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of targeted surveillance for the identification of moderate-profound PCHI in babies who pass the newborn hearing screen in England and have risk factors. Design: Retrospective analysis. Study sample: 2 307 880 children born 01/04/06-30/09/09 in England. Results: Overall the prevalence for all PCHI in children with risk factors who pass newborn hearing screening is 1.49/1000. The risk factors with the highest prevalence are (1) Syndrome (other than Down's) associated with a hearing loss; (2) NICU with refer in both ears at OAE and pass in both ears at AABR; (3) Craniofacial anomaly; (4) Down's syndrome; (5) Congenital infection. Conclusion: Targeted surveillance for children who pass the screen and have the risk factors 1-5 listed above will be retained within the English NHSP; targeted surveillance for children who pass the screen and have other risk factors is not effective and has been discontinued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the rising global prevalence of hearing loss and its impact as of 2019. Topics covered include its adverse effects on interpersonal communication, psychosocial well-being, and economic independence, and its driving factors like demographic changes, inner ear hair cell damage, occupational and recreational noise risks, and the chronic otitis media with effusion condition. Also noted is the need to monitor the progress of global initiatives for hearing health care.

Provides information on a universal hearing screening for newborn infants. Historical overview of newborn hearing screening; Target population of the screening program; Cost associated with children tested in well baby nurseries compared with children from the neonatal intensive care units; Proposals for universal neonatal hearing screening in the U.S. and Great Britain.

The article discusses the project, Assessment of Hearing in the Elderly: Aging and Degeneration -- Integration through Immediate Intervention, 2008-2011, funded by the European Commission. One of the aims of the project is to increase awareness of early detection, the crucial role of population screening, and the need for effective interventions for hearing impairment in the elderly. It also involves a survey of international experts about non-hearing aid interventions.

Objective: To validate a method using self-reported speech communication effort in noise to estimate occupational noise levels by comparing with measured noise levels. Design: A comparative observational study. Reported vocal effort to communicate with a person at a distance of 1.2m during workplace-related tasks was used to provide an estimate of noise levels in the workplace. These estimated noise levels were compared against noise level measurements obtained using personal noise dosimetry badges for corresponding tasks undertaken by participants. Study sample: Participants (n=168) aged 16-25 years were recruited from companies where workplace noise levels were at least 85 dB(A). Results: Estimated noise levels using speech communication ability were evenly distributed above and below the measured noise levels (n=134), indicating a lack of systematic bias in the method. For 91% of participants, estimates of noise levels using speech communication were within ±6 dB of the measured levels, whilst 56% were within ±3 dB. Conclusions: Report of speech communication effort required in noise by employees is an effective method of estimating noise levels within the workplace. This can be used for retrospective noise level assessment where there are no recorded noise level measurements, such as for retrospective research studies or in medicolegal work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the modernization program for hearing aid services in Great Britain. The program has introduced patient centered pathways and protocols, modern technology for selecting, analyzing and fitting hearing aids, and stressed an evaluative culture including formal outcome measures that inform rehabilitation or follow-up programs. The program is aimed at providing the best possible hearing health care and hearing aid service through the most cost effective model.

Objective: To assess the performance of the universal newborn hearing screen in England. Design: Retrospective analysis of population screening records. Study sample: A total of 4 645 823 children born 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2013. Results: 97.5% of the eligible population complete screening by 4/5 weeks of age and 98.9% complete screening by three months of age. The refer rate for the 12/13 birth cohort is 2.6%. The percentage of screen positive (i.e. referred) babies commencing follow up by four weeks of age and six months of age is 82.5% and 95.8% respectively. The yield of bilateral PCHL from the screen is around 1/1000. For bilateral PCHL in the 12/13 birth cohort the median age is nine days at screen completion, 30 days at entry into follow up, 49 days at confirmation, 50 days at referral to early intervention, and 82 days at hearing-aid fitting. Conclusion: The performance of the newborn hearing screening programme has improved continuously. The yield of bilateral PCHL from the screen is about 1/1000 as expected. The age of identification and management is well within the first six months of life, although there remains scope for further improvement with respect to timely entry into follow up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors comment on the need for an inclusive global child health, development and education policy to achieve the targeted reduction in mortality of children younger than 5 years by 2030. Topics covered include the sustainable development goal (SDG) framework for child health, the role of early childhood development policies for the educational and vocational attainment of the surviving children with disabilities, and indicators for tracking progress in child health initiatives.

Abstract Objective: Adult hearing screening may be a solution to the under-diagnosis and under-treatment of hearing loss in adults. Limited use and satisfaction with hearing aids indicate that consideration of alternative interventions following hearing screening may be needed. The primary aim of this study is to provide an overview of all intervention types that have been offered to adult (≥ 18 years) screen-failures. Design: Systematic literature review. Articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Cinahl, the Cochrane Library, private libraries, and through reference checking. Results: Of the initial 3027 papers obtained from the searches, a total of 37 were found to be eligible. The great majority of the screening programmes (i.e. 26) referred screen-failures to a hearing specialist without further rehabilitation being specified. Most of the others (i.e. seven) led to the provision of hearing aids. Four studies offered alternative interventions comprising communication programme elements (e.g. speechreading, hearing tactics) or advice on environmental aids. Conclusions: Interventions following hearing screening generally comprised referral to a hearing specialist or hearing aid rehabilitation. Some programmes offered alternative rehabilitation options. These may be valuable as an addition to or replacement of hearing aid rehabilitation. It is recommended that this be addressed in future research. Sumario Objetivo: El tamiz auditivo en adultos puede ser una solución al diagnóstico y tratamiento insuficiente de las alteraciones auditivas en adultos. El uso y satisfacción limitados con los auxiliares auditivos indica que pueden necesitarse intervenciones alternativas luego del tamiz auditivo. El propósito primario de este estudios es echar un vistazo a todos los tipos de intervención que han sido ofrecidas a adultos (≥ 18 años) que fallan dicho tamiz. Diseño: Revisión sistemática de la literatura. Se identificaron artículos a través de una búsqueda sistemática en PubMed, EMBASE, Cinahl, la Biblioteca Cochran, bibliotecas privadas y a través de revisión de referencias. Resultados: De los 3027 trabajos iniciales obtenidos de las búsquedas, se encontró un total de 37 que eran elegibles. La gran mayoría de los programas de tamiz auditivo (p.e., 26) refirieron los fallos del tamiz a un especialista en audición, sin especificar nada adicional sobre rehabilitación. La mayoría de los otros (p.e., 7) llevaron a la adaptación de auxiliares auditivos. Cuatro estudios ofrecieron intervenciones alternativas que involucraban programas de comunicación (p.e., lectura labio-facial, tácticas para escuchar) o consejo sobre ayudas ambientales. Conclusiones: Las intervenciones que siguez al tamiz auditivo involucraron referencia a especialistas en audición o rehabilitación con auxiliares auditivos. Algunos programas ofrecieron opciones alternativas de rehabilitación. Estos pueden ser valiosos como una adición o en reemplazo de la rehabilitación con auxiliares auditivos. Se recomienda que esto sea analizado en investigaciones futuras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have reported national and regional Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates for the UK. Because of substantial variation in health within the UK, action to improve it requires comparable estimates of disease burden and risks at country and local levels. The slowdown in the rate of improvement in life expectancy requires further investigation. We use GBD 2016 data on mortality, causes of death, and disability to analyse the burden of disease in the countries of the UK and within local authorities in England by deprivation quintile.Methods: We extracted data from the GBD 2016 to estimate years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and attributable risks from 1990 to 2016 for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the UK, and 150 English Upper-Tier Local Authorities. We estimated the burden of disease by cause of death, condition, year, and sex. We analysed the association between burden of disease and socioeconomic deprivation using the Index of Multiple Deprivation. We present results for all 264 GBD causes of death combined and the leading 20 specific causes, and all 84 GBD risks or risk clusters combined and 17 specific risks or risk clusters.Findings: The leading causes of age-adjusted YLLs in all UK countries in 2016 were ischaemic heart disease, lung cancers, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Age-standardised rates of YLLs for all causes varied by two times between local areas in England according to levels of socioeconomic deprivation (from 14 274 per 100 000 population [95% uncertainty interval 12 791-15 875] in Blackpool to 6888 [6145-7739] in Wokingham). Some Upper-Tier Local Authorities, particularly those in London, did better than expected for their level of deprivation. Allowing for differences in age structure, more deprived Upper-Tier Local Authorities had higher attributable YLLs for most major risk factors in the GBD. The population attributable fractions for all-cause YLLs for individual major risk factors varied across Upper-Tier Local Authorities. Life expectancy and YLLs have improved more slowly since 2010 in all UK countries compared with 1990-2010. In nine of 150 Upper-Tier Local Authorities, YLLs increased after 2010. For attributable YLLs, the rate of improvement slowed most substantially for cardiovascular disease and breast, colorectal, and lung cancers, and showed little change for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Morbidity makes an increasing contribution to overall burden in the UK compared with mortality. The age-standardised UK DALY rate for low back and neck pain (1795 [1258-2356]) was higher than for ischaemic heart disease (1200 [1155-1246]) or lung cancer (660 [642-679]). The leading causes of ill health (measured through YLDs) in the UK in 2016 were low back and neck pain, skin and subcutaneous diseases, migraine, depressive disorders, and sense organ disease. Age-standardised YLD rates varied much less than equivalent YLL rates across the UK, which reflects the relative scarcity of local data on causes of ill health.Interpretation: These estimates at local, regional, and national level will allow policy makers to match resources and priorities to levels of burden and risk factors. Improvement in YLLs and life expectancy slowed notably after 2010, particularly in cardiovascular disease and cancer, and targeted actions are needed if the rate of improvement is to recover. A targeted policy response is also required to address the increasing proportion of burden due to morbidity, such as musculoskeletal problems and depression. Improving the quality and completeness of available data on these causes is an essential component of this response.Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Public Health England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: Prevalence of confirmed permanent childhood hearing impairment increases until the age of 9 years to a level higher than previously estimated. Relative to current yields of universal neonatal hearing screening in the United Kingdom, which are close to 1/1000 live births, 50-90% more children are diagnosed with permanent childhood hearing impairment by the age of 9 years. Paediatric audiology services must have the capacity to achieve early identification and confirmation of these additional cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]