Tinnitus-related problems in children
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identifying tinnitus-related problems experienced by children
IRAS ID
253103
Contact name
Derek Hoare
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Univeristy of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head without any outside source. The symptom can have a negative impact on day-to-day life and wellbeing. The percentage of children with tinnitus has been found to be similar to the percentage of adults with tinnitus. However, unlike adults, there is limited understanding of the tinnitus-related problems children experience. To be able to care for children with tinnitus, health professionals need to identify and measure the problems the child has, both to find out how severe their problems are and to assess whether treatment has had an effect. Clinical questionnaires are used to measure tinnitus impact in adults. These tools have been designed based on the tinnitus-related problems known to affect adults. To date no child-specific questionnaire measure of tinnitus has been developed.
To support the development of a clinical questionnaire measure of tinnitus impact in children, the aim of study is to identify tinnitus-related problems experienced by children aged 8 to 16, to generate data that will inform the design of the new questionnaire. The study will involve multiple NHS sites to recruit participants. Data collection will consist of two stages; 1) Individual interviews with children, parents/guardians and clinicians, and 2) Focus groups with children. The new questionnaire will be a clinical tool to help health professionals measure the impact tinnitus is having on the child. This will support decisions about treatment options and confirm if treatment is having the desired effect. Widespread use of the tool will encourage consistency in assessment practices across services. Additionally, the clinical data generated will be used to inform the funding of tinnitus services for children. This project is part of a PhD study funded by the British Tinnitus Association.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0396
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion