Hearing Assessment

Useful Management Information

No other information.

Clinical resources

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Referral for baseline hearing assessment prior to treatment for patients undergoing ototoxic treatment
  • Re-assessment / monitoring of hearing for those who are currently being treated with ototoxic agents
  • Suspected ototoxicity related to long term and/or GP prescribed medication
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Long term monitoring of for ototoxic treatment (CF, haematology) over a long period of time
  • Refugee hearing screen
  • Syndromes associated with hearing loss
  • Assessment following diagnosis of child with permanent hearing loss
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • Other medical concern indicating need for hearing test
Standard Referral Information

Patient's Demographic Details

  • Full name (including aliases)
  • Date and country of birth
  • Residential and postal address including whether patient resides at an aged care facility
  • Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
  • Medicare number (where eligible)
  • Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
  • Name of delegate and contact details (Department of Corrective Services)
  • Preferred language and interpreter requirements
  • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
  • Any special needs, access requirements and/or disability relevant to the referral

Referring Practitioner Details

  • Full name
  • Full address
  • Contact details – telephone, fax, email
  • Provider number
  • Date of referral
  • Signature
  • Nominated general practitioner’s details (if known), if the nominated general practitioner is different from the referring practitioner

Relevant clinical information about the condition

  • Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
  • Physical findings
  • Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
  • All conservative options that have been pursued unsuccessfully prior to referral
  • Body mass index (BMI)
  • Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes, BMI), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
  • Any special care requirements where relevant (e.g. tracheostomy in place, oxygen required)
  • Current medications and dosages
  • Drug allergies
  • Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

Reason for request

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention
  • For advice and management
  • For specialist to take over management
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
  • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

Clinical modifiers

  • Impact on employment
  • Impact on education
  • Impact on home
  • Impact on activities of daily living functioning – low/medium/high
  • Impact on ability to care for others
  • Impact on personal frailty or safety
  • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

Other relevant information

  • Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
  • Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
  • Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc

Essential referral information

Reason why hearing test is being requested.

Additional Referral Information
  • Details of current or previous treatments with ototoxic pharmaceutical agents:
    • Aminoglycoside and chemotherapeutic agents can cause permanent bilateral SNHL
    • Loop diuretics, salicylates, and antimalarial agents usually cause temporary bilateral SNHL that returns to normal soon after pharmacological therapy is stopped
  • Details of any change in hearing levels post commencement of pharmaceutical treatment if applicable
  • Details of any otologic symptoms or pre-existing hearing loss if applicable.
  • Any previous hearing assessments if applicable
  • ENT history if applicable
  • Neurology/neurosurgery history if applicable
  • Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
  • Details of any trauma
  • Any previous audiology assessment results
  • The person's hearing and communication needs at home, at work or in education, and in social situations
  • Psychosocial difficulties related to hearing

Out of catchment

West Moreton Health is responsible for providing a public health service to people who reside within its catchment area. To appropriately manage demand for service we do not accept referrals from outside this catchment area. If your patient does live outside the West Moreton Health area and it is deemed socially or clinically necessary for their care to be received in the West Moreton Health Service, inclusion of information regarding their particular medical and/or social factors will assist with the triaging of your referral.

Feedback

To provide feedback about contents on this website or general referral questions please email WM-CPC@health.qld.gov.au or phone 3413 7402.