Introduction to the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI) study: Background, design, sample characteristics.

Objective: This article describes the background and the design of the longitudinal outcomes of children with hearing impairment (LOCHI) study, and the characteristics of the study cohort. Design: Children born between 2002 and 2007 who were identified with hearing loss and received audiological intervention by 3 years of age in Australia enrolled in the study. Their demographic characteristics are described. Study sample: Four hundred and fifty-one children in New South Wales, Victoria, and Southern Queensland. Results: Data on age at first hearing-aid fitting for different degrees of hearing loss are reported together with demographic characteristics of the cohort. Conclusion: A unique environment in Australia where all children with varied access to universal newborn hearing screening received the same consistent hearing services from a national hearing service provider makes it possible to investigate the effects of access to early auditory intervention on children's outcomes at a population level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]