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Hearing loss

ADULT

Minimum Referral Criteria

  • Category 1
    (appointment within 30 calendar days)
    • Rapid progressive severe unilateral or bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and/or vertigo
  • Category 2
    (appointment within 90 calendar days)
    • Young adults with any degree of hearing loss, 21 years and under, who require audiological management through Hearing Australia
  • Category 3
    (appointment within 365 calendar days)
    • Bilateral severe to profound hearing loss and any of the following:
      • poor speech discrimination
      • does not receive adequate benefit from hearing aids
    • Chronic hearing loss - change in symptoms or clinical findings

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

  • Description of:
    • hearing loss i.e. one or both sides
    • change in hearing loss
  • Diagnostic audiology assessment (Highly desirable where available and not cause significant delay)

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • Information regarding any hearing aids or hearing devices and communication mode utilised by the patient e.g. Auslan
  • Speech discrimination testing
  • Any previous audiology assessment results

4. Request

Last updated: 13 June 2023