Baron T, Whinney D, Reddy V
ENT Department, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, UK.
J Laryngol Otol. 2024 Jan;138(1):38-42. doi: 10.1017/S0022215123000518. Epub 2023 Mar 20.
Patients with hearing loss and tinnitus face lengthy waits to be seen in the ENT clinic. SHOEBOX Audiometry is an iPad-based, audiometric screening tool. A virtual hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus clinic involving an ENT specialist virtually assessing cases based on the SHOEBOX audiogram, a patient symptom questionnaire and the primary care referral letter were implemented. This service evaluation explored the outcomes of the virtual clinic in reducing the need for a face-to-face ENT appointment.
This was a retrospective service evaluation of the first six months of the virtual hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus clinic.
A total of 210 patients were included: 34.8 per cent (73) were discharged without requiring audiologist assessment or an ENT appointment, 51.9 per cent (109) required formal audiological assessment, 36.7 per cent (77) required imaging and only 13.8 per cent (29) required a face-to-face ENT appointment.
A virtual hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus clinic minimised the number of patients requiring a traditional face-to-face clinic appointment within ENT.
听力损失和耳鸣患者在耳鼻喉科门诊等待就诊的时间很长。鞋盒听力测定法是一种基于iPad的听力筛查工具。实施了一个虚拟听力损失和非搏动性耳鸣诊所，由一名耳鼻喉科专家根据鞋盒听力图、患者症状问卷和初级保健转诊信对病例进行虚拟评估。这项服务评估探讨了虚拟诊所减少面对面耳鼻喉科预约需求的效果。
这是对虚拟听力损失和非搏动性耳鸣诊所前六个月的回顾性服务评估。
共纳入210例患者：34.8%（73例）无需听力学家评估或耳鼻喉科预约即可出院，51.9%（109例）需要进行正式听力评估，36.7%（77例）需要进行影像学检查，只有13.8%（29例）需要面对面的耳鼻喉科预约。
虚拟听力损失和非搏动性耳鸣诊所最大限度地减少了耳鼻喉科内需要传统面对面诊所预约的患者数量。
