Skip links and keyboard navigation

Hearing Implants Paediatric (Audiology)

PAEDIATRIC

Minimum Referral Criteria

  • Category 1
    (appointment within 30 calendar days)
    • Severe to profound bilateral SNHL in children with congenital deafness (< 4 years old)
    • Children with meningitis and sudden onset hearing loss
    • Children with significant vision impairment/Ushers' Syndrome whose SNHL has deteriorated to severe to profound.
  • Category 2
    (appointment within 90 calendar days)
    • Limited or no benefit from wearing hearing aids with the following:
      • limited access to speech sounds / unable to meet prescriptive target gain with optimised hearing aids
      • significant speech and language delay
    • Children with progressive hearing loss who are aided with either of the following:
      • upon recommendation of their hearing aid dispensing audiologist
      • following significant deterioration in hearing thresholds
    • Single sided deafness
    • Severe to profound bilateral SNHL (acquired, progressive or in congenital deafness >4 years)
  • Category 3
    (appointment within 365 calendar days)
    • Children transferring from another program
    • Over 4 years of age at time of referral
    • Chronic mixed or conductive hearing loss
    • Unable for medical reasons to use a conventional Air Conduction (AC) hearing aid in the affected ear (e.g., conditions such microtia/ atresia, skin conditions, chronic suppurative otitis media).

1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention
  • For advice and management
  • For specialist to take over management
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
  • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this

  • Previous audiograms/ hearing test results
  • Concurrent ENT referral if referral is for candidacy assessment
  • Otological/ENT history
  • Social modifiers i.e. effect on home schooling, out of home residence

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • Results of aetiological investigations (include reports/proof, including genetic results as necessary)
  • Additional and relevant diagnosis, co-morbidities, disabilities and medical issues
  • MRI (Brain/ cranial nerves) and CT (Temporal Bone) results if applicable

4. Request

Last updated: 13 June 2023