XR3: Individualised Solutions

Research in this Theme is developing evidence-based, patient-centric guidelines for candidature, fitting and rehabilitation that will enable clinicians and agencies to match technology and services to identified individual needs, optimising outcomes and increasing cost-effectiveness. It is focused on fostering a patient-centric approach to hearing healthcare through development of evidence-based guidelines for candidature, fitting and rehabilitation. These guidelines will enable clinicians to match technology and services to identified individual needs, optimising outcomes for the user as well as increasing overall cost-effectiveness.

Our research into the barriers to take-up of devices and rehabilitation has demonstrated that current ‘clinician-driven’ models often fail to encourage continuing use of technology. In addition, our Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment Study (LOCHI) has shown that despite universal newborn hearing screening leading to early intervention, current habilitation programs do not enable every hearing-impaired children to achieve age-equivalent language and literacy outcomes.

Activity in this Program will focus on how to apply a growing evidence-base to:

• drive patient-centric clinical practice for candidature, fitting and (re)habilitation;
• guide individual client choices;
• best match devices and therapies to overcome each individual’s real-world hearing and communications disability; and
• maximise the potential of hearing-impaired children to develop language and literacy abilities.

Insights from current research and outcomes from The Listening Brain Research Theme will guide development of specific diagnostic, fitting or intervention strategies to be trialed using the CRC’s extensive clinical network. Translating research to practice for use by end-user agencies will occur as clinical guidelines, supplemented by training modules on HEARnet Learning.

Implementation of our research findings and how best to deliver individualised services to regional, rural and remote communities is a primary focus of the Enhanced Service Capacity Research Theme.

The research projects in this Theme are shown below.