Queensland Government
Queensland Government
Home / Refer your patient / Audiology / Hearing Implants Adults (Concurrent ENT Referral Required)

Hearing Implants Adults (Concurrent ENT Referral Required)

Does your patient wish to be referred?

Minimum referral criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category 1

Appointment within 30 days is desirable

  • Predominantly severe to profound sensorineural hearing that is:
    • Recent sudden onset
    • Associated with recent history of meningitis
  • Patient also has significant / deteriorating visual impairment.

Category 2

Appointment within 90 days is desirable

  • Predominantly severe to profound sensorineural hearing and:
    • Limited or no benefit from wearing hearing aids
    • Hearing loss may be acquired, progressive, congenital

Category 3

Appointment within 365 days is desirable

  • Chronic mixed or conductive hearing loss
  • Unable for medical reasons to use a conventional Air Conduction (AC) hearing aids bilaterally (e.g. conditions such microtia/ atresia, skin conditions, chronic supportive otitis media).

If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria

Consider other treatment pathways or an alternative diagnosis.

If you still need to refer your patient:

  • Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
  • Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service

Other important information for referring practitioners

Not an exhaustive list

  • Hearing Implant services are not available at all locations
  • Hearing implants may include cochlear implant(s), bone conduction implant(s) or middle ear implant(s).
  • Some services may offer only cochlear implants or bone conduction / middle ear implants
  • Some services only post-surgery cochlear implant services
  • Refer ENT CPC and health pathways for more information
    Please note that a referral to both Audiology and ENT are required for cochlear implant candidacy assessment (indefinite GP referral preferred to ENT).
  • Cochlear implantation will only be considered after an assessment by a multidisciplinary team. As part of the assessment adults should also have had a valid trial of an acoustic hearing aid for at least 3 months (unless contraindicated or inappropriate). (NICE Guidelines, Cochlear implants for children and adults with severe to profound deafness, 2009)
  • For adults, the QLD Public Health system is currently funded to provide unilateral cochlear implants to adults with bilateral severe/profound sensorineural hearing loss. Adults with single sided deafness should be referred for assessment via private Audiology / ENT services.
  • Bone Conduction Implantation or Middle Ear Implantation will only be considered if patient meets candidacy criteria and is medically contraindicated to wearing air conduction aids bilaterally to meet eligibility criteria for bone conduction and/or middle ear implantation

Exclusion criteria – Middle Ear/ Bone Conduction Implant

  • Adults with single sided deafness that are referred for the purpose of the contralateral routing of signal to the normal hearing ear.  Adults with single sided deafness should be referred for assessment via private Audiology / ENT services.

Referral requirements

A referral may be rejected without the following information.

Essential referral information

  • History and aetiology of hearing loss
  • Previous ENT treatment if applicable
  • Hearing aid history if applicable
  • Previous audiogram(s)
  • Concurrent ENT referral is required for candidacy assessment

Additional Referral Information (Useful for processing the referral)

  • MRI (brain/ cranial nerves) or CT (Temporal Bones) results if previously performed
  • Difficulties/limitations of hearing aid trials if applicable
  • Results of aetiological investigations
  • Additional and relevant diagnosis, disabilities and medical issue
  • History of skin conditions if applicable

Out of catchment

Metro North Health is responsible for providing public health services to the people who reside within its boundaries. Special consideration is made for patients requiring tertiary care or services that are not provided by their local Hospital and Health Service. If your patient lives outside the Metro North Health area and you wish to refer them to one of our services, inclusion of information regarding their particular medical and social factors will assist with the triaging of your referral.

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

  • 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

  • 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
  • Body mass index (BMI)
  • Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
  • Current medications and dosages
  • Drug allergies
  • Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

  • Full name (including aliases)
  • Date of birth
  • Residential and postal address
  • Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
  • Medicare number (where eligible)
  • Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
  • Preferred language and interpreter requirements
  • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

  • Full name
  • Full address
  • Contact details – telephone, fax, email
  • Provider number
  • Date of referral
  • Signature

  • 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.)
Back to top