title: Introduction to the longitudinal outcomes of children with hearing impairment (LOCHI) study: background, design, sample characteristics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the background and the design of the longitudinal outcomes of children with hearing impairment (LOCHI) study, and the characteristics of the study cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children born between 2002 and 2007 who were identified with hearing loss and received audiological intervention by 3 years of age in Australia enrolled in the study. Their demographic characteristics are described.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and fifty-one children in New South Wales, Victoria, and Southern Queensland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data on age at first hearing-aid fitting for different degrees of hearing loss are reported together with demographic characteristics of the cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A unique environment in Australia where all children with varied access to universal newborn hearing screening received the same consistent hearing services from a national hearing service provider makes it possible to investigate the effects of access to early auditory intervention on children's outcomes at a population level.
authors.affiliation: * National Acoustic Laboratories , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Teresa Y C
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leigh
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dillon
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D009517:New South Wales; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011793:Queensland; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design