This simple test can help kids hear better | Susan Emmett

63,898 views ・ 2018-06-18

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Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Listen to the sounds of why hearing matters
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to the Alaskan Native people.
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Hearing loss makes it hard to fish on the open water,
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hunt caribou and harvest berries,
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activities central to Alaskan Native culture.
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Hearing loss isn't unique to rural Alaska.
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It's global.
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The Global Burden of Disease Project estimates there are 1.1 billion people
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living with hearing loss worldwide.
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That's more people than the entire population here in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Over 80 percent are in low- and middle-income countries,
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and many have no access to hearing care.
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The impact on people's lives is tremendous.
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Anuk is a three-year-old boy I treated in Alaska.
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Ear infections started when he was barely four months old.
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His parents brought him into clinic,
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worried he didn't say much compared to his brothers.
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Sure enough, many rounds of infections had resulted in hearing loss.
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Without treatment, Anuk's speech will continue to lag behind.
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He's more likely to do worse in school,
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have worse job prospects
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and experience social isolation.
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But it doesn't have to be this way.
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The World Health Organization estimates that half of all global hearing loss
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can be prevented.
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If Anuk's hearing loss is identified and treated promptly,
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his life and the opportunities he has as he grows up
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could look vastly different.
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I'm an ear surgeon working with partners around the world
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on new pathways for hearing loss prevention.
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This solution comes from my collaboration with a tribal health organization
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called the Norton Sound Health Corporation.
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Hearing loss evaluation traditionally requires testing by an audiologist
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in a soundproof room,
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with a lot of permanent equipment.
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An ear surgeon then examines Anuk's ears under a microscope
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and decides a treatment plan.
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These resources simply aren't available in remote settings.
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In a state where 75 percent of communities aren't connected to a hospital
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by road,
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an expensive flight is required.
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To overcome these barriers, Alaska has developed
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a state-of-the-art telemedicine system
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that connects over 250 village health clinics
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with specialists who triage all types of health concerns.
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My colleagues have validated that ear-related telemedicine consults
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are equivalent to an in-person exam.
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In 2016, travel was prevented for 91 percent of patients
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receiving specialty telemedicine in the Norton Sound region.
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Telemedicine has saved over 18 million in travel costs in this single region
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over the past 15 years.
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Our team is taking the power of telemedicine to a new level,
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through a project
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funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
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For the first time, we are merging telemedicine
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with mobile screening technology
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that extends the reach of expert triage beyond health care settings.
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This cell-based screen, developed in South Africa,
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costs over 10 times less than traditional equipment
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and does not require advanced training.
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If I were screening Anuk at school,
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sound-attenuating headphones and noise monitoring
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would take the place of a sound booth,
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and I would use a phone adapter instead of a microscope
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to examine his ears.
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In a matter of minutes, screening and images are done.
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We then apply Alaska telemedicine technology
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to transmit the data to specialists,
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who connect Anuk to the treatment he needs.
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Our team is launching a randomized trial
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in 15 communities along the Bering Sea
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to study how well this intervention works.
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Our goal is to prevent childhood hearing loss across the state of Alaska.
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But the concept is bigger than a single state.
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The impact is global.
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Mobile telemedicine can revolutionize access to care.
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In Malawi, for example, there are only two ear surgeons and 11 audiologists
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for a population of 17 million.
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This technology could empower teachers and community health workers
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to provide access to care to children in places like Malawi.
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Scaling up globally could change children's lives
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who have never had access to hearing care before,
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using just the power of a cell phone.
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It's time to change the course of preventable hearing loss.
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Anuk and countless children like him are depending on us.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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