PLUM and HATS: The Tools Simplifying Ear Health Diagnsosis
The National Acoustic Laboratories, the research branch of Hearing Australia, launched their new diagnostic tools last Wednesday aimed at catching ear health problems early.
The tools, which were developed by and for Indigenous communities, are much like questionnaires but designed specifically to identify potential ear health problems in Indigenous children whose rates of middle ear disease, or, otitis media, is distressingly high.
Studies suggest that Indigenous children are five times more likely to be diagnosed with otitis media than non-Indigenous children.
Culturally appropriate and inclusive healthcare programs have increased significantly in the last four years, the most notable being the closing the gap targets reformed earlier this year in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak organisations.
The PLUM and HATS tools are free and available to download at: https://plumandhats.nal.gov.au/