An audit of paediatric referrals to the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (2009-2014).

AIM: To determine the effect of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Intervention Programme on the age of referral and implantation of prelingually deaf children in the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme. METHOD: A retrospective review of data collected prospectively from March 2003 to August 2014. RESULTS: 123 children were referred to the programme with prelingual deafness in the time period. There was a significant decrease in the age of referral (median 6.23 months vs. 21.50 months) and age at implantation (12.66 months vs. 24.0 months) in those that underwent newborn hearing screening. Reasons for delay in referral and implantation were identified. CONCLUSION: The introduction of universal newborn hearing screening has significantly reduced the age at referral and implantation of prelingually deaf children. However, the screening programme must continue to undergo monitoring and regular audit. Efforts must also be made to reduce the time to referral, including reducing non-attendance rates, education for parents and service providers, and earlier referral of those with comorbidities so as to reduce the time to implantation.

An audit of referrals to the Southern Cochlear Implant Paediatric Programme.

AIM: To audit the age at referral and time to assessment and implantation in children presenting to the Southern Cochlear Implant Paediatric Programme and identify any delay in implantation, particularly in individuals with pre-lingual sensorineural hearing loss. METHODS: All paediatric referrals to the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme from March 2003-March 2008 were evaluated retrospectively. The Student t-test was used to compare median time intervals between those with and without risk factors for Sensorineural hearing loss. RESULTS: Seventy five children were referred, 42 with pre-lingual deafness and 33 with post-lingual deafness. The median age of referral was 17 months with a range of 1 to 203 months. Thirty-five children with pre-lingual deafness were accepted as candidates and implanted, 6 were declined as they were too old to receive benefit from cochlear implantation. Of these 6 children who were declined, 4 had not been adequately diagnosed despite having risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss. There was no significant difference in the age of referral in pre-lingually deafened children between those with risk factors and those without risk factors. CONCLUSION: The age at referral of pre-lingually deafened children to the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme is unacceptably high, particularly in those children who have known risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss.