The document describes the Hearing Assessment Program - Early Ears (HAP-EE), which provides hearing assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from birth to school age. It acknowledges Indigenous peoples as the traditional owners of the land. HAP-EE received $30 million in federal funding through June 2022 aimed at remote and regional children. The program identifies ear disease and hearing loss, builds primary health services' capacity for early detection, and raises awareness. To date it has assessed 175 children, with referrals made for amplification and ENT services. The document outlines the process for communities to participate and provides examples of arrangements. It also lists locations the program has visited so far in various states and territories.

1. Hearing Assessment
Program- Early Ears
HAP-EE
Michele Clapin — Manager Hearing Assessment Program

2. Hearing Assessment Program – Early Ears 2
I would like to acknowledge the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first people
of this country and pay my respects to the
Traditional Owners and Elders, past, present and
emerging, of the land on which we stand today.

3. Background to
HAP-EE
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears

4. Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 4
Budget Announcement
• Federal Budget announcement of $30m
funding for a new program
• Aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children from birth to school entry
• Focus on children in very remote, remote
and regional locations
• Funding through to 30 June 2022
May 2018

5. Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 5
Timeline
May 2018- January 2019- Department of Health consultations with
NACCHO and its affiliates, State and Territory Health
Departments, Research Agencies, Hearing Australia and other
Stakeholders.
February 2019- Department of Health announced limited tender
for delivery of the program with Hearing Australia as sole
tenderer.
May 2019- Contract executed
June 2019- Staff recruitment commences
July 2019- Service delivery commences, QLD and Victoria
Creating HAP-EE

6. Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 6
Anticipated Outcomes
• a reduction in the long-term effects of ear disease through early
rehabilitative hearing services and early referral for specialist
treatment, surgery, speech and language support and other clinical
services where required;
• a reduction in time between hearing loss identification and first
rehabilitative hearing consultation by the Grantee;
• lowering the age at which hearing aids are fitted for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children;
• expedited recommendations for referral to follow-up services; and
• increased capacity within primary health services to identify,
manage and monitor ear health in accordance with clinical care
guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander populations.

7. Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 7
Three Components
• Identify ear disease and hearing loss in children and
initiate appropriate referrals and interventions
• Work with primary health services to support them in
building their capacity to identify hearing loss and
middle ear disease in young children
• Raise the awareness of the importance of early
detection of hearing loss and middle ear disease

8. Results and Data
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears

9. The children we see are your patients- you get the results
 Children are only seen if we have signed consent forms
 The audiologist enters the test results into our database as she does the test
 If you allow us, at the end of the day, the results are entered into YOUR database
 Before the audiologist leaves she goes through the results and recommendations with you
 Within a week of the trip we send you individual reports for the children we have seen
 If children need treatment or referral, they enter YOUR treatment and referral pathway
 We liaise with you on future visits so that we can follow up on children who need retesting
 We are working on developing our reporting suite and hope to be able to send you outcome reports
 Hearing Australia does report on overall results and outcomes to the Department of Health
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 9

10. The results so far (as at mid October 2019)-
 We have assessed 175 children
 Approx. 25% of the children have presented with middle ear dysfunction in either one or both ears
 11 Referrals have been made for amplification
 16 Referrals have been made for ENT Services
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 10

11. How do Services/
Communities get
nominated to
participate?
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears

12. There are lots of ways
 First 10 locations were specified by Department of Health (included Derby and Fitzroy Crossing in
WA). Health wrote to services in these locations formally inviting them to participate in the program.
 Hearing Australia consultations with NACCHO affiliates, Healthy Ears fund-holders and
State/Territory Hearing Services identify places with high need
 Regional Ear Health Steering Committees identify communities with high need
 Health Services directly nominate themselves
 PHN requests
 Hearing Australia Outreach Audiologists suggest services that may have a need ( usually based on
high number requests to assess young children)
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 12

13. Is there a limit to
numbers of
locations?
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears

14. We don’t have a limit to number of participants!!!
 We want the program to work in as many locations as wanted
 If there is no need in a location we won’t go there
 Many of our Eastern state locations have large populations but are
very accessible- cost savings there can subsidise services to
remote locations
 As we help services build their capacity, we can alter visiting
patterns
 We will be looking to introduce tele-audiology services to help us
improve our efficiency (that’s a project for next year)
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 14

15. What Happens if
a community
decides to
participate?
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears

16. The Steps to starting HAP-EE
 A HAP-EE Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer will organise to meet with the primary health
service(s)
 The Engagement Officer and the Service representatives review what is currently happening vs
what is desired
 Agreement on how HAP-EE could work for the services is reached (includes what upskilling and
hearing awareness activities are required)
 Dates and details for audiology visits are agreed
 Audiology services commence
 Engagement Officer will also contact early education services in the community
 Engagement Officer continues to work with the service to monitor and adjust program over time
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 16

17. Some Examples
 Primary Health Service requests that we run a workshop for parents as first step so that the parents
understand why they should bring the children along to be tested
 Agree to run the first days at the kindy/playgroup or equivalent
 Primary Health Services organises for audiologist to work with a healthworker to support them in
developing their skills in hearing screening
 Local PHN organises dates for HAP-EE audiologists to see young children GP clinics
 We agree to do additional visits to a “satellite” clinic in smaller community so that families do not
have to travel to the main clinic
NOTE: We cannot fund ear health worker positions or similar.
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 17

18. Where have we
been to so far?
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears

19. So far we have taken the HAP-EE to-
 NSW- Moree, Wagga, Taree, Kempsey, Nowra, Ballina
 QLD- Toowoomba, Cherbourg, Yarrabah, Cape York, Mt Isa, Torres St
 VIC- Bairnsdale, Mildura, Dareton
 SA- Ceduna, Yalata
 NT- Wadeye, Maningrida, Oenpelli
 WA- Fitzroy Crossing, Derby, Eastern Goldfields
 There are many discussions currently taken place at other locations to commence in early 2020
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 19

20. 20
Queensland
Opportunistic screening day with Mulungu Health Service (Mareeba – FNQ)

21. 21NSW
HAP Clinics are booked in between now and December at:
• Nowra
• Ballina
• Kempsey
HAP Clinics have already begun in
• Moree
• Wagga
• Taree

22. Thank You
and
Questions
Hearing Assessment Program- Early Ears 22