David Horn
Dr. Horn is a Pediatric Otolaryngologist and hearing scientist in the Departments of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington. Clinically, he is the co-director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Horn leads the Prosthetic Auditory Development Laboratory at the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, where his team studies the how various hearing abilities develop, and constrain later spoken-language outcomes, in infants who use cochlear implants compared to infants with normal or atypical acoustic hearing. His research is currently funded by the NIH through an R01 from the National Institute for Deafness and Communication Disorders. Dr. Horn also has co-investigator roles on the Department’s R25 NIH training grant as well as an external institution’s R01.
Session
Nearly 100 million children worldwide are affected by hearing loss, with congenital unilateral hearing loss diagnosed in up to 1 in 1,000 births in developed countries. Management of this condition varies significantly across the globe, influenced by factors such as resource availability, access to care, and ethical considerations.
Key challenges in managing congenital unilateral hearing loss include determining the appropriate timing and type of intervention, selecting the most suitable devices, and identifying the right candidates. Traditional outcome measures used for bilateral hearing loss may not fully capture the experiences or benefits for the children with unilateral hearing loss and consistent auditory input in one ear. For this population, additional metrics, such as quality of life, listening effort, and fatigue, must be considered.
This international expert panel will explore current global practices in managing congenital unilateral hearing loss and highlight key insights to inform shared decision-making with families.