A、Ear examination under a microscope. B、An ear surgeon’s evaluation plan. C、Testing in a water-proofroom. D、A lot of portable eq

Good morning, everyone. Today, I will talk about the simple test which can help kids hear better. Hearing loss makes it hard to fish on the open water, hunt caribou and harvest berries, activities central to Alaskan Native culture. Hearing loss isn’t unique to rural Alaska. It’s global. The Global Burden of Disease Project estimates there are 1.1 billion people living with hearing loss worldwide. That’s more people than the entire population here in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 80 percent are in low- and middle-income countries, and many have no access to hearing care.
    The impact on people’s lives is tremendous. Anuk is a three-year-old boy I treated in Alaska. Ear infections started when he was barely four months old. His parents brought him into clinic. Many rounds of infections had resulted in hearing loss. Without treatment, Anuk’s speech will continue to lag behind. He’s more likely to do worse in school, have worse job prospects and experience social isolation.
    But it doesn’t have to be this way. The World Health Organization estimates that half of all global hearing loss can be prevented. If Anuk’s hearing loss is identified and treated promptly, his life and the opportunities he has as he grows up could look vastly different.
    I’m an ear surgeon working with partners around the world on new pathways for hearing loss prevention. This solution comes from my collaboration with a tribal health organization called the Norton Sound Health Corporation. Hearing loss evaluation traditionally requires testing by an audiologist in a soundproof room, with a lot of permanent equipment. An ear surgeon then examines Anuk’s ears under a microscope and decides a treatment plan. These resources simply aren’t available in remote settings. In a state where 75 percent of communities aren’t connected to a hospital by road, an expensive flight is required. To overcome these barriers, Alaska has developed a state-of-the-art telemedicine system that connects over 250 village health clinics. My colleagues have validated that ear-related telemedicine consults are equivalent to an inperson exam. In 2016, travel was prevented for 91 percent of patients receiving specialty telemedicine in the Norton Sound region. Telemedicine has saved over 18 million in travel costs in this single region over the past. Our team is taking the power of telemedicine to a new level, through a project funded by the PatientCentered Outcomes Research Institute. For the first time, we are merging telemedicine with mobile screening technology. This cell-based screen, developed in South Africa, costs over 10 times less than traditional equipment and does not require advanced training.
    Question 22. What do we learn about hearing loss?
    Question 23. What does the speaker say about Anuk?
    Question 24. What does the traditional hearing loss evaluation require?
    Question 25. What does the speaker’s team contribute to telemedicine?