Exploring interventions for glue ear during Covid-19 [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring interventions for children with chronic otitis media with effusion (’glue ear’) when services are reduced during Covid-19.
IRAS ID
262816
Contact name
Tamsin Holland Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridgeshire Community Services
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN13818722
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
0000-0003-0745-8877, ORCID number
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
\nMany children develop a temporary hearing loss when fluid and mucus accumulate behind the ear drum (known as ‘glue ear’ or Otitis Media with Effusion, OME) after a cough or cold or ear infection. Their hearing is monitored for a few months to see if there is spontaneous resolution, if not a grommet operation is offered. A child’s development (speech and language, listening skills, social communication, attention) can be disadvantaged by having many months of hearing loss. \n\nA previous study demonstrated that a set of headphones which use bone conduction technology (which sends sound as a vibration directly to the inner ear, bypassing the ear drum) can be wirelessly connected to a small microphone helps children with glue ear to hear (this was statistically significant). The control group in this study also benefitted from listening games and, after further PPI/ PPV work, an app (software application) called Hear Glue Ear was created. The app contained glue ear information, listening games, language enrichment and a hearing screening game. A further study trialled the Hear Glue Ear app with families - the app was popular and the children found it easy to use.\nIn this study Children aged 3-11 years old with a diagnosis of glue ear who are not able to access hearing services or a grommet operation during Covid-19 will be offered the headphones/ microphone and app to be sent to their home with telephone/ video consultation support. Questionnaires before, during and after the study will assess acceptability of the management strategy, as well as aiming to capture any observed differences to the child’s listening skills, attention, speech, language, behaviour, quality of life, wellbeing, and learning.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/WM/0177
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion