Effectiveness and costs of a low-threshold hearing screening programme (HörGeist) for individuals with intellectual disabilities: protocol for a screening study
Werner Brannath,
Anja Neumann,
Katharina Schwarze,
Philipp Mathmann,
Karolin Schäfer,
Phillip-Hendrik Höhne,
Sibel Altin,
Lukas Prein,
Awa Naghipour,
Susanna Marie Zielonkowski,
Susanne Wasmuth,
Oliver Kanaan,
Antoinette am Zehnhoff-Dinnesen,
Anna Sophia Schwalen,
Anna Schotenröhr,
Martin Scharpenberg,
Sarah Schlierenkamp,
Nicole Stuhrmann,
Ruth Lang-Roth,
Muhittin Demir,
Sandra Diekmann,
Corinna Gietmann,
Katrin Neumann
Affiliations
Werner Brannath
Competence Center for Clinical Trials Bremen, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Anja Neumann
Institute for Health Care Management and Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
Katharina Schwarze
Institute for Health Care Management and Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
Philipp Mathmann
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Karolin Schäfer
Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Education and Aural Rehabilitation of People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Phillip-Hendrik Höhne
AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Germany
Sibel Altin
AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Germany
Lukas Prein
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Awa Naghipour
Department of Sex and Gender Sensitive Medicine, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
Susanna Marie Zielonkowski
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Susanne Wasmuth
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Oliver Kanaan
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Antoinette am Zehnhoff-Dinnesen
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Anna Sophia Schwalen
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Anna Schotenröhr
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Martin Scharpenberg
Competence Center for Clinical Trials Bremen, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Sarah Schlierenkamp
Essener Forschungsinstitut für Medizinmanagement - EsFoMed GmbH, Essen, Germany
Nicole Stuhrmann
Practice for Otolaryngology, Phoniatrics & Paediatric Audiology, Duesseldorf-Meerbusch, Germany
Ruth Lang-Roth
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Muhittin Demir
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Division of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Medicine Essen, Essen, Germany
Sandra Diekmann
Essener Forschungsinstitut für Medizinmanagement - EsFoMed GmbH, Essen, Germany
Corinna Gietmann
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Katrin Neumann
Department of Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology, University Hospital Münster, Muenster, Germany
Introduction Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often suffer from hearing loss, in most cases undiagnosed or inappropriately treated. The implementation of a programme of systematic hearing screening, diagnostics, therapy initiation or allocation and long-term monitoring within the living environments of individuals with ID (nurseries, schools, workshops, homes), therefore, seems beneficial.Methods and analysis The study aims to assess the effectiveness and costs of a low-threshold screening programme for individuals with ID. Within this programme 1050 individuals with ID of all ages will undergo hearing screening and an immediate reference diagnosis in their living environment (outreach cohort). The recruitment of participants in the outreach group will take place within 158 institutions, for example, schools, kindergartens and places of living or work. If an individual fails the screening assessment, subsequent full audiometric diagnostics will follow and, if hearing loss is confirmed, initiation of therapy or referral to and monitoring of such therapy. A control cohort of 141 participants will receive an invitation from their health insurance provider via their family for the same procedure but within a clinic (clinical cohort). A second screening measurement will be performed with both cohorts 1 year later and the previous therapy outcome will be checked. It is hypothesised that this programme leads to a relevant reduction in the number of untreated or inadequately treated cases of hearing loss and strengthens the communication skills of the newly or better-treated individuals. Secondary outcomes include the age-dependent prevalence of hearing loss in individuals with ID, the costs associated with this programme, cost of illness before-and-after enrolment and modelling of the programme’s cost-effectiveness compared with regular care.Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Review Board of the Medical Association of Westphalia-Lippe and the University of Münster (No. 2020-843 f-S). Participants or guardians will provide written informed consent. Findings will be disseminated through presentations, peer-reviewed journals and conferences.Trial registration number DRKS00024804.
