Sheila T Moodie

The University of Western Ontario | UWO

Purpose Virtual care-related technologies are transforming the way in which health services are delivered. A growing number of studies support the use of virtual care in the field of audiology and speech-language pathology; however, there remains a need to identify and understand what influences caregiver participation within the care that is virtu...

Rationale: Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a clinical practice guideline (CPG) around virtual hearing aid practices was developed to fill a knowledge gap within the field of audiology. Details outlining the development and mobilization of this draft guideline were outlined as Phase 1 (described in a paired paper). Aims and objective...

Rationale: There is a growing demand for comprehensive, evidence-based, and accessible clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to address virtual service delivery. This demand was particularly evident within the field of hearing healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, when providers were faced with an immediate need to offer services at a distance. C...

BACKGROUND To achieve effective integration of virtual care into family-centred audiology practices, participatory research methods including parents, as vital participants in the delivery of pediatric audiology care, should be considered. A better understanding of the barriers and facilitators influencing the adoption of virtual care for families...

Background: To achieve effective integration of virtual care into family-centered audiology practices, participatory research methods, including parents as vital participants in the delivery of pediatric audiology care, should be considered. A better understanding of the barriers and facilitators influencing the adoption of virtual care for famili...

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic required most pediatric rehabilitation programs to shift to a virtual delivery format without the benefits of evidence to support this transition. Our study explored families' experiences participating virtually in More Than Words, a program for parents of autistic children, with the goal of generating new evidence t...

The CARL manikin was originally developed for use in training real ear measurement, but its application has expanded to include other practices. For this project, Audio CARL was equipped with calibrated in-ear microphones connected to a microcomputer with custom software that allowed entry of audiograms, and simulation of hearing loss during pure t...

Many hearing difficulties can be explained as a loss of audibility, a problem easily detected and treated using standard audiological procedures. Yet, hearing can be much poorer (or more impaired) than audibility predicts because of deficits in the suprathreshold mechanisms that encode the rapidly changing, spectral, temporal, and binaural aspects...

Purpose: To explore solution-focused coaching (SFC) as a means to enhance pediatric rehabilitation practitioners’ development of listening skills. Methods: Six clinicians each participated in two SFC sessions with an experienced coach who used a practice model developed for pediatric rehabilitation (SFC-peds). The transcribed interviews were analyz...

Virtual methods for conducting focus group studies are increasingly being used in many fields, including rehabilitation sciences. This is partly due to the current pandemic, and the need for social distancing, however, may also relate to factors such as convenience and practicality. Virtual research methods enable investigators to collect data at a...

Are we ready to deliver remote care? A question many of us have asked ourselves over the last year. Danielle Glista (Associate Professor, Western University) and colleagues talk through a systematic approach to implementing remote audiological care and suggest gaps in our current readiness. https://www.entandaudiologynews.com/features/audiology-fe...

Engaging knowledge users throughout the research process has been suggested to be an effective way to reduce or eliminate the gap between research and clinical practice. Within communication sciences and disorders, there is a growing interest in engaging knowledge users, particularly clinicians and patient partners, throughout the research process....

Engaging knowledge users throughout the research process has been suggested to be an effective way to reduce or eliminate the gap between research and clinical practice. Within communication sciences and disorders, there is a growing interest in engaging knowledge users, particularly clinicians and patient partners, throughout the research process....

Background: An increasing global prevalence of hearing loss, paired with the global need for improved access to hearing healthcare services, highlights the growing need for alternative service delivery models. The Connected hearing healthcare model emerges as a solution to this need, focusing on the use of telecommunication technology. Connected mo...

Objective: To develop a conceptual framework around the factors that influence audiologists in the clinical uptake of remote follow-up hearing aid support services. Design: A purposive sample of 42 audiologists, stratified according to client-focus of either paediatric or adult, were recruited from professional associations in Ontario, Canada, a...

Purpose: To examine solution-focused coaching (SFC) as a means to enhance clinicians’ professional development. Methods: Six pediatric rehabilitation clinicians (three physical, two occupational, and one behavior therapist) each received two SFC sessions targeting clinical listening goals. Conversational intervals were noted in session transcriptio...

Background: Probe-tube placement is a necessary step in hearing aid verification which needs ample hands-on experience and confidence before performing in clinic. To improve the methods of training in probe-tube placement, a manikin-based training simulator was developed consisting of a 3D-printed head, a flexible silicone ear, and a mounted optic...

Abstract Background: Probe-tube placement is a necessary step in hearing aid verification which needs ample hands-on experience and confidence before performing in clinic. To improve the methods of training in probe-tube placement, a manikin-based training simulator was developed consisting of a 3D-printed head, a flexible silicone ear, and a mount...

Background: Probe tube placement is an important skill audiologists must learn to make real-ear measurements in an audiology clinic. With current evidence-based guidelines recommending insertion of the probe tube within 5 mm of the tympanic membrane (TM) for proper acoustical measurements, students must be well trained to ensure they are capable t...

Background There is increasing awareness that regardless of the proven value of clinical interventions, the use of effective strategies to implement such interventions into clinical practice is necessary to ensure that patients receive the benefits. However, there is often confusion between what is the clinical intervention and what is the implemen...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the range of fit to Desired Sensation Level version 5.0 (DSL v5.0) targets in pediatric practice environments. Results will be used in the future to develop clinical-aided speech intelligibility index typical performance data. Method: Clinical partners collected data from 161 final hearing aid se...

Early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs have been guided by principles from the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing and an international consensus of best practice principles for family-centered early intervention. Both resources provide a solid foundation from which to design, implement, and sustain a high-quality, family-centered E...

Background: A scoping review of the literature was conducted, resulting in the development of a conceptual framework of parent-to-parent support for parents with children who are Deaf or hard of hearing. This is the 2nd stage of a dual-stage scoping review. Purpose: This study sought stakeholder opinion and feedback with an aim to achieve consen...

Background: Real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) measurements are used for the purposes of estimating degree and configuration of hearing loss (in dB SPL ear canal) and predicting hearing aid output from coupler-based measures. Accurate measurements of hearing threshold, derivation of hearing aid fitting targets, and predictions of hearing aid ou...

Background: Guidelines and protocols for pediatric hearing aid fitting are necessary to meet the goals of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs. The American Academy of Audiology published an update to their Pediatric Amplification Guideline in 2013. Ontario's Infant Hearing Program (IHP) offers specific protocols that aim to fu...

Background: There is broad consensus that screening and diagnosis of permanent hearing loss in children must be embedded within a comprehensive, evidence-based, family-centered intervention program. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for pediatric hearing assessment and hearing aid verification aim to reduce variability in practice and increase t...

To prepare for an RCT by examining the effects of an educational intervention on the listening skills of pediatric rehabilitation clinicians, piloting study procedures, and investigating participants' learning experiences. Six experienced clinicians received the intervention, consisting of video simulations and solution-focused coaching regarding p...

Link to article: https://canadianaudiologist.ca/clinical-changes-to-recd-measures-understanding-how-the-recd-fits-into-the-big-picture-of-hearing-aid-fitting/

Purpose: To describe the creation and validation of six simulations concerned with effective listening and interpersonal communication in pediatric rehabilitation. Methods and findings: The simulations involved clinicians from various disciplines, were based on clinical scenarios related to client issues, and reflected core aspects of listening/...

Background: The Ling 6(HL) test offers a calibrated version of naturally produced speech sounds in dB HL for evaluation of detection thresholds. Aided performance has been previously characterized in adults. Purpose: The purpose of this work was to evaluate and refine the Ling 6(HL) test for use in pediatric hearing aid outcome measurement. Res...

Background: Parent-to-parent support for parents with children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) is identified as an important component of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for children with hearing loss. Purpose: The specific aim of this review was to identify the constructs and components of parent-to-parent suppor...

The impetus for evidence-based practice (EBP) has grown out of widespread concern with the quality, effectiveness (including cost-effectiveness), and efficiency of medical care received by the public. Although initially focused on medicine, EBP principles have been adopted by many of the health care professions and are often represented in practice...

Pediatric audiologists lack evidence-based, age-appropriate outcome evaluation tools with well-developed normative data that could be used to evaluate the auditory development and performance of children aged birth to 6 years with permanent childhood hearing impairment. Bagatto and colleagues recommend a battery of outcome tools that may be used wi...

This study proposed and evaluated a guideline for outcome evaluation for infants and children with hearing loss who wear hearing aids. The University of Western Ontario Pediatric Audiological Monitoring Protocol (UWO PedAMP) was developed following a critical review of pediatric outcome evaluation tools and was systematically examined by the Networ...

Measurement of the real ear response of a fitted hearing aid allows matching of the frequency response to prescriptive targets, as well as comparison of the response to both threshold and loudness discomfort level (LDL). These processes are recommended procedures for hearing aid fittings. The real ear aided response (REAR) is often predicted based...

Outcome evaluation is an important stage in the pediatric hearing aid fitting process, however a systematic way of evaluating outcome in the pediatric audiology population is lacking. This is in part due to the need for an evidence-based outcome evaluation guideline for infants and children with hearing loss who wear hearing aids. As part of the de...

To examine the external validity of the United Kingdom English version of the LittlEARS(®) Auditory Questionnaire with English-speaking families of Canadian children with normal hearing. The United Kingdom English version of the LittlEARS was administered to English-speaking families of 130 children with normal hearing in Ontario, Canada. Total sco...

This study evaluated how closely the DSL v5.0 a prescription could be approximated with hearing aids, its relationship to preferred listening levels (PLLs) of adults with acquired hearing loss, and the self-reported outcomes of the resulting fittings. Thirty adults with varying degrees and configurations of hearing loss ranging from mild to severe....

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An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.

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The Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method was originally developed in the early 1980s to provide clinicians with a systematic, science-based approach to pediatric hearing instrument fitting that ensures audibility of amplified speech by accounting for factors that are uniquely associated with the provision of amplification to infants and young child...

The Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method was revised to support hearing instrument fitting for infants, young children, and adults who use modern hearing instrument technologies, including multichannel compression, expansion, and multimemory capability. The aims of this revision are to maintain aspects of the previous versions of the DSL Method tha...

A discussion of the protocols used particularly in the clinical application of the Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method is presented in this chapter. In the first section, the measurement and application of acoustic transforms is described in terms of their importance in the assessment phase of the amplification fitting process. Specifically, the i...