Genevieve ChoiPhD Candidate and Audiologist, The University of Auckland, Hamilton, NZ
Genevieve is currently completing her PhD at the University of Auckland. She has previously completed a Bachelor of Neuroscience and a Master of Audiology at the same university, before going on to a decade of clinical work in both private and public sectors. The clinical work and her PhD reflect her ongoing interest in early-life brain development. Based in Hamilton and familiar with the tertiary hospital environment, she has also enjoyed working in a more rural hospital in Whanganui.
Working Towards a National Approach to Medical Investigations for Permanent Hearing Loss in InfantsThe importance of early-life hearing is highlighted when a life course perspective is taken. Infants with permanent hearing loss require intervention within a critical window to develop the neural networks necessary for language and consequently healthy executive function. The association between healthy executive function and adulthood success is well established. Acknowledging the intergenerational transfer of advantage highlights the importance of equity for any early-life hearing service. Detecting and providing intervention for hearing loss covers 100% of live births for some aspects and focuses on 0.2% of live births for others. This talk reframes the aim of medical work-up for hearing loss in infants and recommends a national equity focused approach which utilises task shifting.
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