School Screening and Telemedicine Specialty Referral to Address Childhood Hearing Loss in Rural Kentucky

Counties in the control condition will use standard hearing screening and standard referral by school district. Standard referral is typically a letter home from the school to parents/caregivers of children who refer screening.

The enhanced screening protocol will consist of an mHealth-based hearing screen combined with tympanometry.

The specialty telemedicine referral will include a lay-friendly smartphone or tablet that connects to tools necessary for an ear and hearing evaluation. If a child requires referral from hearing screening, a school nurse/teacher will complete the established protocol for the specialty telemedicine referral and send details asynchronously to an audiologist for consultation.