2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
Pediatric Hearing Aid Use: Differences Between English- and Non-English-Speaking Families
Introduction:
Prior studies have identified various healthcare disparities across racial and ethnic minority groups. One such minority group, individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), or those who speak English less than “very well,” make up approximately 8% of the U.S population five years of age and older. Thirty-five percent of children with hearing loss come from LEP families. To broaden our understanding of potential disparities in pediatric hearing health care, the present study compared hearing aid use time between children from English-speaking and LEP families.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review included 83 children from English-speaking families and 26 children from LEP families. All children were diagnosed with bilateral, permanent hearing loss with a pure tone average (PTA) of > 30 dB HL and had their initial hearing aid fitting before five years of age. Exclusionary criteria included a PTA > 90 dB HL, a diagnosis of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, and significant developmental or medical considerations that could impact hearing aid wear time (e.g., autism spectrum disorder). Datalogging records were obtained from the hearing aid software at each child’s first and second follow-up visit and were compared between groups.
Results and Conclusion:
Children from LEP families demonstrated significantly lower datalogging hours compared to children from English-speaking families at both the first follow-up visit (1.4 hours [SD = 1.9] and 5.2 hours [SD = 3.9]), respectively; p < 0.001) and at the second follow-up visit (1.7 hours [SD = 2.2] and 5.3 hours [SD = 4.0], respectively; p < 0.001). These findings reveal a significant disparity in hearing aid use time for children from LEP families. Further research is needed to determine effective management strategies that might improve hearing aid use by this group of children.
- Attendees will be able to explain the definition of limited English proficiency (LEP).
- Attendees will be able to identify differences in hearing aid wear time between children from English- and non-English speaking families.
- Attendees will be encouraged to consider factors that may influence poor hearing aid use in children from LEP families and brainstorm potential solutions.
Poster:
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Presenter: Nicole Brigham
Nicole Brigham received her bachelor of arts in Human Developmental Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. She is a fourth year audiology doctoral student at Vanderbilt University and is currently completing her externship at St. Louis Children's hospital. Her professional interests include early intervention, cochlear implants, and audiological management of medically complex children.
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Dr. Tharpe is Professor and Chair, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville Tennessee. The primary research emphasis in her laboratory has been in furthering our understanding of the developmental impact of hearing loss on young children. This work has been done by examining questions of behavioral indices of attention, environmental exploration, and academic outcomes. Her recent work has focused on the impact of hearing technology interventions on caregiver and child behavior and the sleep patterns in those with hearing loss. Dr. Tharpe has published extensively in national and international professional journals, has published numerous books and book chapters, and has presented to over 300 audiences around the world on pediatric audiology issues. She is co-editor with Dr. Richard Seewald of The Comprehensive Handbook of Pediatric Audiology, 2nd edition, which was published in 2016.
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Hilary Davis is a clinical and research audiologist at Vanderbilt University. She completed her B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Texas at Austin and her Doctorate of Audiology from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. During her time as a graduate student, Dr. Davis served as a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) trainee. She is interested in the pediatric population and working with children with hearing loss in educational settings.
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Emily Thompson is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Vanderbilt University's Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, who pursued a specialty concentration in early identification and management of children with hearing loss while earning her Au.D. (May 2019 VUSM program graduate). Dr. Thompson previously graduated from the University of Connecticut (Honors Program) with a B.A. in Psychology and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. In addition to serving as a LEND Program trainee, she recently completed an NIH-funded T35 Research Traineeship with Vanderbilt faculty mentor Dr. Anne Marie Tharpe. Dr. Thompson’s primary research interests encompass pediatric amplification and aural rehabilitation, with a clinical focus on exploring communication/psychosocial impacts of childhood hearing loss. She has spent over two years conducting newborn hearing screenings as a student technician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and has also participated in multiple different pediatric audiology research projects from August 2015 onward.
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