School hearing screening programme in the UK: practice and performance.
BACKGROUND
Paediatric audiology services and screening programmes are currently under review.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate current practice and performance of the school hearing screening programme (SHSP) by means of a questionnaire.


RESULTS
SHSP was found to detect previously unrecognised hearing loss at low cost. Wide variation in practice was shown, and the majority of services had no computerised system for data collection.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need for nationally agreed protocols and quality assurance procedures.
Fonseca
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Clare House, St George's Hospital, London SW17 0QT, UK. Sarita.Fonseca@stgeorges.nhs.uk
Forsyth
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Neary
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D002648:Child; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D012572:School Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D006113:United Kingdom