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Research

The Audiology Team at Rady Children’s Hospital is actively engaged in research to enhance patient care and improve outcomes.

Current Projects

Oticon Medical Ponto Softband Solution: Rady Children’s Audiology Team is recruiting current Ponto Softband users to participate in a study to gather additional information about the effectiveness of device use. For more information or to join the study, please reach out to the primary investigator, Catherine Moyer at cmoyer@rchsd.org or learn more here.

Maternal Directives: Mechanism of Influence on Vocabulary Development: This study is being conducted in conjunction with Chapman University with Mary Fagan, PhD Primary Investigator. The study is actively recruiting patients 8-24 months of age who have atypical hearing thresholds and have received a cochlear implant. For more information or to join the study, please reach out to the primary investigator, Mary Fagan mfagan@chapman.edu, and for additional information click here.

Parent Experience with a New Multi-Disciplinary [Comprehensive Hearing Assessment Team (CHAT)] Clinic for Cochlear Implant Candidates: Our team is gathering data from families attending our newly-formed CHAT clinic in order to determine patient/family satisfaction for children newly-identified as having atypical hearing thresholds. For more information contact our primary investigator, Shannon Doolittle sdoolittle1@rchsd.org and to see preliminary information: Click here.

Cochlear Implant Patient Adherence to Post-Implant Care Recommendations: Our team is identifying barriers to returning for post-implant care. For additional information, contact Shannon Doolittle at Sdoolittle1@rchsd.org or click here for preliminary information.

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI): This study is being conducted as a multi-center study offering teletherapy to address language disparities in deaf and hard-of-hearing children. For additional information, please contact Christina Bloodworth cbloodworth@rchsd.org or Shari Garrett sgarrett@rchsd.org. For more information, click here.

Effectiveness of Using a Self-Guided App for Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Rehabilitation: We are looking for participants ages 9-17 who have chronic tinnitus who would like to try an app-based treatment system. If interested, please contact Julie Purdy jpurdy@rchsd.org and use this link to learn more.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Valganciclovir for Asymptomatic Cytomegalovirus Infected Hearing Impaired Infants (ValEAR Trial): Rady Children’s Hospital is participating in National Institutes of Health-funded multicenter study to assess the effects of valganciclovir on the hearing and language outcomes of patients with hearing loss and congenital CMV. Want to learn more? Link: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03107871

SJiMB21: Risk-Based Medulloblastoma Treatment for Infants and Young Adults: Our team is participated in gathering audiometric data for a multi-site study lead by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in treating patients with medulloblastoma. If you want to know more please contact the St. Jude Study Coordinators Tabatha Doyle or Jean Leboe at 901-595-2544 or use the link: https://www.stjude.org/treatment/clinical-trials/sjimb21-study.html

University of California San Diego SMARTT/AMP Pediatric HIV studies: Our team is participating in gathering audiometric data for two studies being conducted by the University of California San Diego (UCSD). If you want to learn more, please contact UCSD directly at: https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/antiretroviral-toxicity

Future Studies: we look forward to assessing the use of cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) in cochlear implant candidacy assessment and vestibular testing in patients with cochlear implants

Past Projects:

A Pivotal, Prospective, Multi-Center, Open-Label Study Evaluating the Safety and Effectiveness of the Cochlear Osia 2 System in a Pediatric Population: Rady Children’s Hospital was one of seven centers who participated in a study assessing the use of the Osia 2 system in children ages 5-12. This study has recently completed. Learn more: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05000931

A test of Children’s English/Spanish Speech Perception in Noise or Speech Maskers: As part of a multi-center team headed up by Boys Town National Research Hospital, children ages 4-17 with atypical hearing were assessed via a new tablet-based test called Children’s English/Spanish Speech Perception (ChEgSS) test in order to determine the feasibility of using a tablet-based assessment protocol. More information: https://pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/article/150/4_Supplement/A152/703580/The-Children-s-English-and-Spanish-Speech

Evaluation of the Baha SoundArc in a Pediatric Patients: Rady Children’s participated in developing fitting criteria for the use of the SoundArc as a replacement of softband technology for children with conductive, mixed or single sided deafness. LINK: https://hearingreview.com/hearing-products/implants-bone-conduction/bone-conduction-solutions/cochlear-limited-announces-release-baha-soundarc

Comparison of the Auditory Processing Domains (APDQ) and Evaluation of Children’s Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPs) Questionnaires in Predicting Clnical Diagnosis on the Variables of Auditory Processing, Language, Social and Global Issues: Our team analyzed retrospective data from July 1, 2018-July 1, 2019 in order to determine which of two commercially available questionnaires would better predict the need for additional services for patients being assessed for Auditory Processing Disorders. Learn More.

Clinical Utility of Auditory Steady State Responses in Children-Correlation in Threshold Estimation Between Auditory Stead State Response (ASSR) and Behavioral Assessment: This retrospective study established the ability to use ASSR to accurately predict behavioral thresholds in children. Learn More.

Child Cochlear Implant Profile (ChIP) Score Validation: This tool was developed and validated at Rady Children’s Hospital as an evaluation tool for pediatric cochlear implant candidates. It has been used as all California Children’s Services (CCS) paneled centers and was updated in 2022. See the updated criteria here. For a blank scoresheet, click here.

Pre-cochlear implant imaging in academic settings: Rady Children’s participated in a multi-center study conducted in cooperation with the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital (Paris, France) to assess the importance of CT and MRI in assessing the temporal bone anatomy prior to cochlear implantation. Both modalities are complementary and essential in examining the ear and brain anatomy prior to the surgery. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33043845/

Controlled Care Market Release for Remote Assist, Remote Check for CI and Baha: As one of five centers and the only pediatric center, Rady Children’s Hospital participated in three different Controlled Care Market Releases that brought telehealth technology to our cochlear implant and bone anchored hearing aid patients. Learn more: https://pronews.cochlear.com/telehealth-remote-check/

Dalbavacin Pharmacokinetics and Safety in Children 3 Months to 11 Years of Age: Our team participated in gathering audiometric data for a multi-year study assessing Dalbavacin used to treat acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections in children. Learn more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.mcas.ms/pmc/articles/PMC5468484/

Annual Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Project

Each year our team completes an Annual Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Project. Here are the results from some of the most recent projects:

2023-2024-Increased Use of the Vestibular Screening Test at Hearing Aid Consultation Appointments (In process) Learn More.

2022-2023-Effectiveness and Patient Satisfaction with the Comprehensive Assessment Team ClinicLink: Learn More.

2020-2021-Adherance to New Aided Assessment Practices for Patients with Mild and Unilateral Hearing Thresholds Learn More.

2019-2020-Adherence to New Aided Assessment Practices for Bilaterally Aided Evaluations Learn More.

2018-2019-Assessing the APDQ and ECLiPS for use with Auditory Processing Disorders Assessments Learn More.

2017-2018-Increasing Vestibular Referrals for Patients with Vestibular Disorders Learn More.

2016-2017-Comparison of Manufacturer’s Fitting Algorithm and BC Direct Programming for Patients using a Baha Softband Learn More.

2015-2016-Determining the Correlation between CI Comfort Levels obtained via Subjective Measures and Electrical Stapedial Reflexes Learn More.