Evaluation of grommets and hearing aids in children with otitis media
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study to evaluate the difference in auditory performance of children following grommet insertion or hearing aid amplification as a treatment for otitis media with associated hearing loss.
IRAS ID
218249
Contact name
Kay Snowball
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Margaret University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 2 days
Research summary
The study aims to evaluate the difference in auditory performance in children following grommet insertion or hearing aid provision as a form of intervention for persistent otitis media. Subjects will be aged 2.5- 12 years presenting with bilateral otitis media with associated persistent bilateral conductive hearing impairment for at least 3 month. Subjects will be referred by a Consultant Otolaryngologist in Ear, Nose and Throat through routine pre-assessment. Subjects will have already been allocated to a treatment group through choice prior to any data collection. Assessment will comprise of a test battery covering hearing thresholds (Pure Tone Audiometry), speech discrimination (McCormick Toy Test) and functional performance in everyday life (The Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/oral performance of Children (P.E.A.C.H.)). Assessment will occur pre intervention and at time points 3 month and 6 month post intervention. Pre assessment appointments for otitis media will be carried out at Sunderland Royal Hospital in line with normal practice, however all other appointments can be carried out at either Sunderland Hospital or Washington Health Centre (preference with patient). Results will be analysed to conclude if there is a difference in auditory performance between test groups. Implications for no difference/ difference found between intervention test groups include service development where current grommet insertion procedures exceed hearing aid fittings for children with otitis media. In addition strong positive correlation between speech discrimination scores and P.E.A.C.H. scores will validate one measure as prediction of the other. It is predicted using reports ran over a period of one year within the same health trust it will take no longer than 1.5 year for data collection due to numbers required to gain significance using a power calculation. If numbers are not achieved a pilot study maybe proposed with suggestion of the same/or similar study on a larger scale.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NE/0119
Date of REC Opinion
28 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion