Monthly SIG Spotlights

May 2024

BSA Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Special Interest Group (TH)

The TH SIG steering committee has been through some membership changes. We have said goodbye to our founding member Peter Byrom and Joanne Goss, who have contributed to many tinnitus projects, including authoring clinical guidance on tinnitus in adults’ and updating the recommended procedures for Uncomfortable Loudness Levels, and e-learning on NICE guidance. We wish to thank them for all the hard work and support on the SIG. We are also delighted to welcome new members, Nic Wray, Nasir Rashid and Kerry McCormick to the TH SIG steering committee.  They bring a range of knowledge and experience from audiology and the patient perspective on tinnitus and hyperacusis.

We are currently focused on the assessment and management of hyperacusis, and assessment and management of mental health in the tinnitus clinic. These are both incredibly challenging areas of clinical practice, and we recognize the need for additional guidance and resources. We have been hard at work putting together information sheets for hyperacusis, the first of which is being amended following review, and we have been supporting work looking into sound therapy and hyperacusis.

We are now focus on putting together ideas for a series of projects on mental health assessments in clinical practice for tinnitus and hyperacusis. The initial project will involve a service evaluation to find out about current tinnitus services focusing on clinicals experiences with referrals and support for patients with significant anxiety and depression. We expect to be able to put the survey together for the summer 2024. Importantly we are planning to hold a workshop to discuss the findings from the evaluation, concerns related to this and any share ideas for what is needed to support patients and professionals in this area. Ultimately, our goal would be to develop position statements around this area. We are aiming to hold the workshop at the end of year/beginning of 2025. If you would be interested in joining the workshop, please let us know: thsig@thebsa.org.uk.

Finally, if you are interested in hyperacusis or tinnitus, we welcome further applications to join our SIG from across the wider BSA membership, so please do get in touch if you are interested: thsig@thebsa.org.uk.