What Evidence Base Do We Need to Introduce New Technology into Hearing Services? Adrian Davis There is considerable concern over the ability of Health Services to meet the needs of the hearing impaired in developed countries. The major concerns are a lack of access and the low availability of leading edge technology for patients in most hearing service, due to budgetary constraints but also a lack of scientific evidence about its cost-effectiveness. This is for rehabilitative services in general where the speed of production of new technology and devices outstrips the ability of the health technologists to evaluate classes and specific incidences of technological innovation. I propose that quality-assured hearing services should have a rigorous and continuous approach to clinic based outcome evaluation of the benefits and costs of (new) technology. This is novel because no-one has used these methods on a large scale to test real benefit to individuals. It is timely because their is considerable concern over the potential loss of benefit (and image) in not taking advantage of the new technologies and because the proposal achieves quick resolution of the major issues especially if data are shared. Two ongoing projects in England that attempt to tackle these issues will be described. |