Bright, Tess http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2079-7216
Shan, Xin
Xu, Jinling
Liang, Jianguo
Xiao, Baixiang
Ensink, Robbert
Mactaggart, Islay
Polack, Sarah
Yip, Jennifer L. Y.
Funding for this research was provided by:
Christoffel Blinden Mission (ICTRZN55)
Article History
Received: 14 October 2019
Accepted: 31 January 2020
First Online: 6 March 2020
Ethics approval and consent to participate
: Ethics approval was obtained from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research Ethics Committee (United Kingdom), and Gao’an City People’s Hospital Research Ethics Committee (China). All participants provided written (either signature or thumbprint) informed consent. For those with profound hearing loss, or those with communication difficulties, a family member was asked to assist in explaining the study to participants, and the information sheet given out to the participant to read. Consent was obtained from the study participant when possible, or a proxy family member on behalf of the research participant.For anyone identified as having ear conditions or hearing loss, participants were either referred, or management provided in the field for simple conditions (antibiotics) (see Table InternalRef removed). Simple treatments that could be provided the field include removal of impacted wax, and foreign bodies. Treatment was provided by the ENT specialist after the ear examination was completed. In the survey planning, relevant referral services were mapped and personnel at these services informed of the survey.
: Not applicable
: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.