COVID-19 and tinnitus: an initiative to improve tinnitus care

To investigate the effects of COVID-19 on individuals with tinnitus and their views to guide future tinnitus care. A mixed-methods cross-sectional research design. An online survey was completed by 365 individuals with tinnitus from Australia and other countries. Tinnitus was reported to be more bothersome during the pandemic by 36% of respondents, whereas 59% reported no change and 5% reported less bothersome tinnitus. Nearly half of the respondents had received COVID-19 vaccination(s) and 12% of them reported more bothersome tinnitus while 2% developed tinnitus post-vaccination. Australian respondents spent less time in self-isolation or quarantine and saw fewer change in in-person social contact than respondents from other countries. More than 70% of respondents thought that tinnitus care services were insufficient both before and during the pandemic. Regarding their opinions on how to improve tinnitus care in the future, five themes including alleviation of condition, government policies, reduced barriers, self- and public-awareness, and hearing devices were identified. A majority of respondents did not perceive any change in tinnitus perception and one-third of respondents had worsened tinnitus during the pandemic. To improve tinnitus care, better awareness and more accessible resources and management are crucial.

本研究旨在探讨新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）对耳鸣患者的影响及其相关看法，以期为未来耳鸣诊疗服务提供指导。本研究采用混合方法横断面研究设计，共招募来自澳大利亚及其他国家的365名耳鸣患者完成线上问卷调查。结果显示，36%的受访者表示疫情期间耳鸣症状的困扰程度有所加重，59%的受访者称症状无明显变化，5%的受访者表示耳鸣困扰有所减轻。近半数受访者已接种COVID-19疫苗，其中12%的受访者表示耳鸣困扰程度进一步加重，另有2%的受访者在接种疫苗后新发耳鸣症状。与其他国家的受访者相比，澳大利亚受访者的自我隔离或检疫时长更短，线下社交接触的变化幅度更小。超过70%的受访者认为，疫情前后的耳鸣诊疗服务均存在供给不足的问题。针对未来优化耳鸣诊疗服务的相关建议，研究归纳出五大主题：症状缓解、政府政策支持、降低就诊壁垒、提升自我与公众认知，以及听力设备改进。多数受访者表示自身对耳鸣的感知无明显变化，另有三分之一的受访者在疫情期间耳鸣症状出现恶化。若要优化耳鸣诊疗服务，提升公众认知、提供更易获取的诊疗资源与规范化管理方案至关重要。