School Screening and Telemedicine Specialty Referral to Address Childhood Hearing Loss in Rural Kentucky

University of Arkansas

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Hearing Loss

Treatments: Other: Specialty Telemedicine Referral; Other: Enhanced mHealth Screening; Other: Standard School Screening and Referral

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05513833

274089

1U01OD033247 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This trial will evaluate a multilevel intervention (STAR model) that combines mobile health (mHealth) hearing screening tools with telemedicine technology for specialty care access in rural Kentucky schools. An initial version of the model was used in rural Alaska where telemedicine-based specialty referral improved both proportion of children receiving follow-up and time to follow-up. The refined STAR model will utilize an enhanced mHealth screening protocol that includes tympanometry for the detection of middle ear disease. The STAR model will also include a specialty telemedicine referral process in schools for children who refer school screening.

Full description

Childhood hearing loss has substantial lifelong consequences, including speech-language delay, worse academic performance, and limited vocational opportunities. In rural settings, where access to care is limited, school-based preventative screening programs can help in early identification of childhood hearing loss. The state of Kentucky mandates hearing screening for all schools; however, the effectiveness of these programs is unclear. Further, current school programs do not include a middle ear assessment, which is needed to detect infection-related hearing loss common in children in rural and low-income settings. In children referred from school-based hearing screening programs, loss to follow-up also remains a pervasive issue.

To address these key issues, the University of Kentucky has partnered with the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences to lead the Appalachian STAR trial. This trial will evaluate a multilevel intervention (STAR model) that combines mobile health (mHealth) hearing screening tools with telemedicine technology for specialty care access in rural Kentucky schools. An initial version of the model was used in rural Alaska where telemedicine-based specialty referral improved both proportion of children receiving follow-up and time to follow-up. The refined STAR model will utilize an enhanced mHealth screening protocol that includes tympanometry for the detection of middle ear disease. The STAR model will also include a specialty telemedicine referral process in schools for children who refer school screening.

The Appalachian STAR stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial will be conducted in approximately 64 elementary schools located in 14 counties in rural Kentucky. Approximately 3600 students at school entry will be enrolled annually for 4 years, for a total of approximately 14,400 children. Cluster randomization will occur in two sequences at the county level, with 7 counties (clusters) in each sequence. The 4-year trial will include a control condition period, followed by phased roll-out of the intervention. The enhanced mHealth school hearing screening protocol will be implemented first. The following year, specialty telemedicine referral will be added to the enhanced screening protocol. All 14 counties will receive the STAR model by the end of the trial. An implementation evaluation will be conducted to refine the STAR model throughout the trial. If successful, the STAR model could be applied to address hearing loss and other childhood health conditions that affect underserved rural communities across America.

Timeline update: Based on feedback from community partners, we extended the trial for one year to allow for community-informed adaptations of the enhanced screening. After this additional year of enhanced screening only, specialty telemedicine referral will be added to the enhanced screening protocol. All counties will receive the STAR model by the end of the 5-year trial.

Enrollment: 18,000 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 3 to 11 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Enrolled in school in one of the 14 participating counties
• Initial entry into elementary school
• Eligible regardless of age, gender, race, or ethnicity

Exclusion criteria

• N/A

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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18,000 participants in 2 patient groups

Sequence 1

Other group

Description:

Standard School Screening: All counties in Sequence 1 will receive standard hearing screening in the control period, Year 1. Standard Referral: All counties in Sequence 1 will receive standard referral in control period, Years 1, 2, and 3, based on the updated timeline. Enhanced mHealth screening component: Counties randomized to Sequence 1 will receive the enhanced mHealth screening in Years 2, 3, 4, and 5, based on the updated timeline. Specialty telemedicine referral component: Counties randomized to Sequence 1 will receive the specialty telemedicine referral component in addition to the enhanced mHealth screening in Years 4 and 5, based on the updated timeline.

Treatment:

Other: Standard School Screening and Referral

Other: Enhanced mHealth Screening

Other: Specialty Telemedicine Referral

Sequence 2

Other group

Description:

Standard Hearing Screening: All counties in Sequence 2 will receive standard hearing screening in the control period, Years 1 and 2. Standard Referral: All counties in Sequence 2 will receive standard referral in control period, Years 1, 2, 3, and 4, based on the updated timeline. Enhanced mHealth screening component: Counties randomized to Sequence 2 will receive the enhanced mHealth screening in Years 3, 4, and 5, based on the updated timeline. Specialty telemedicine referral component: Counties randomized to Sequence 2 will receive the specialty telemedicine referral component in addition to the enhanced mHealth screening in Year 5, based on the updated timeline.

Treatment:

Other: Standard School Screening and Referral

Other: Enhanced mHealth Screening

Other: Specialty Telemedicine Referral