An evaluation of paediatric tinnitus services in UK National Health Service audiology departments

Smith, Harriet; Fackrell, Kathryn; Kennedy, Veronica; Barry, Johanna G.; Broomhead, Emily; Hoare, Derek J.

Abstract

© 2020 The Author(s). Background: Whilst evidence indicates many children experience troublesome tinnitus, specialist services for children are far less established than those available for adults. To date, there is limited understanding of how paediatric tinnitus is managed in the UK, and to what extent current practice reflects what is recommended. This service evaluation aimed to 1) profile how tinnitus in children is managed in UK clinical practice, and assess to what extent care provided by services reflects advice included in the British Society of Audiology (BSA) Tinnitus in Children Practice Guidance, 2) collate clinician opinions on how services may be optimised, and 3) identify common problems experienced by children who present with bothersome tinnitus in clinic. Methods: As part of a larger survey, eight questions regarding services for paediatric tinnitus were distributed to UK NHS audiology services via email and social media. Representatives from eighty-seven services responded between July and September 2017. Results: Fifty-three percent of respondents reported that their department provided a paediatric tinnitus service. Among these services, there was widespread use of most BSA recommended assessments and treatments. Less widely used practices were the assessment of mental health (42%), and the use of psychological treatment approaches; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (28%), mindfulness (28%), and narrative therapy (14%). There was varied use of measurement tools to assess tinnitus in children, and a minority of respondents reported using adult tinnitus questionnaires with children. Frequently reported tinnitus-related problems presented by children were sleep difficulties, concentration difficulties at school, situation-specific concentration difficulties, and emotional distress. Conclusions: Approaches used to manage children with troublesome tinnitus in UK NHS services are largely consistent and reflective of the current practice guidance. However, findings from this study indicate specialist staff training, access to child-specific tools, and the treatment and referral of children with tinnitus-related psychological problems represent key areas in need of optimisation.

Citation

Smith, H., Fackrell, K., Kennedy, V., Barry, J. G., Broomhead, E., & Hoare, D. J. (2020). An evaluation of paediatric tinnitus services in UK National Health Service audiology departments. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), Article 214. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-5040-y

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 26, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Mar 14, 2020
• Publication Date: Mar 14, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 20, 2020
• Journal: BMC Health Services Research
• Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 214
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-5040-y
• Keywords: Health Policy
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4777798
• Publisher URL: https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-020-5040-y
• Additional Information: Received: 17 May 2019; Accepted: 26 February 2020; First Online: 14 March 2020; : Not applicable.; : Not applicable.; : DJH is currently acting as an Associate Editor for BMC Health Services Research.