Team Leader, Ear Health
PhD
Dr Chris Brennan-Jones is a clinician researcher focused on improving outcomes for children with otitis media and hearing loss. He is Team Leader of the Ear Health research team at Telethon Kids Institute, a senior paediatric audiologist at Perth Children's Hospital and a clinical senior lecturer within the Division of Paediatrics at the University of Western Australia.
Dr Brennan-Jones completed his PhD on the role of telehealth in improving access to hearing services and was awarded the WA Premier’s Student Scientist of the Year Award in 2016 for this work. He has previously been a Visiting Fellow to the UK Cochrane Centre at the University of Oxford and is leading suite of Cochrane reviews on interventions to treat chronic otitis media funded by the NHMRC CRE for Ear and Hearing Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children (CRE_ICHEAR).
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Projects
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Publications
March 2021
Otitis media guidelines for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: summary of recommendations
The 2001 Recommendations for clinical care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Islander populations were revised in 2010. This 2020 update by the Centre of Research Excellence in Ear and Hearing Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children used for the first time the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
Published research Ear Infections Aboriginal Health Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesFebruary 2021Topical versus systemic antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media
Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), sometimes referred to as chronic otitis media (COM), is a chronic inflammation and often polymicrobial infection (involving more than one micro-organism) of the middle ear and mastoid cavity, characterised by ear discharge (otorrhoea) through a perforated tympanic membrane. The predominant symptoms of CSOM are ear discharge and hearing loss. Antibiotics are the most common treatment for CSOM, which act to kill or inhibit the growth of micro-organisms that may be responsible for the infection.
Published research Health Promotion & Education Ear Infections Ear Health Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesJanuary 2021Clinician-rated quality of video otoscopy recordings and still images for the asynchronous assessment of middle-ear disease
Video otoscopy plays an important role in improving access to ear health services. This study investigated the clinician-rated quality of video otoscopy recordings and still images, and compared their suitability for asynchronous diagnosis of middle-ear disease. Two hundred and eighty video otoscopy image-recording pairs were collected from 150 children (aged six months to 15 years) by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, audiologists, and trained research assistants, and independently rated by an audiologist and ENT surgeon.
Published research Health Promotion & Education Ear Infections Early Childhood Development Ear Health Vaccine Trials GroupSeptember 2020Aural toilet (ear cleaning) for chronic suppurative otitis media
Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), sometimes referred to as chronic otitis media (COM), is a chronic inflammation and often polymicrobial infection (involving more than one micro-organism) of the middle ear and mastoid cavity, characterised by ear discharge (otorrhoea) through a perforated tympanic membrane.
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthMay 2020Reflections and perceptions of chronic tinnitus during childhood
Reflections and perceptions of chronic tinnitus during childhood
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJune 2020Chronic health conditions, mental health and the school: A narrative review
School-based social risk processes in the lives of young people with chronic health conditions are likely to contribute to risk of psychological problems
Published research Health Promotion & Education Human Capability Ear Health Youth Mental HealthMarch 2020Cochrane corner: Sound therapy (using amplification devices and/or sound generators) for tinnitus
This Cochrane review shows that both hearing aids and sound generators may be beneficial for reducing tinnitus severity in some patients
Published research Ear HealthFebruary 2020Hearing aid review appointment: clients’ reasons for attendance and non-attendance
Appointment attendance is influenced by some factors modifiable by the clinician, including providing better education
Published research Ear HealthJanuary 2020Antibiotics versus topical antiseptics for chronic suppurative otitis media
Treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media with topical antibiotics probably results in an increase in resolution of ear discharge compared with boric acid
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJanuary 2020Topical antiseptics for chronic suppurative otitis media
The effectiveness and safety profile of antiseptics in the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media is uncertain
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJanuary 2020Topical antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media
We are uncertain about the effectiveness of topical antibiotics in improving resolution of ear discharge in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJanuary 2020Cochrane corner: interventions to prevent hearing loss caused by noise at work
The aim of this Cochrane Review was to find out if hearing loss caused by noise at work is being prevented by current interventions
Published research Ear HealthJuly 2019A Qualitative Exploration of the Role and Needs of Classroom Teachers in Supporting the Mental Health and Well-Being of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children
This study aimed to explore the role of schools and classroom teachers in supporting the mental health and well-being of deaf and hard of hearing children
Published research Ear HealthApril 2019Cochrane corner: platinum-induced hearing loss after treatment for childhood cancer
This systematic review shows that children treated with platinum analogues are at risk of developing hearing loss
Children's Cancers Published research Ear HealthJuly 2018Does otitis media in early childhood affect later behavioural development? Results from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study
The relationship between early life episodes of otitis media and later behavioural development with adjustment for confounders.
Published research Ear Infections Autism Research Ear Health Genetics and HealthJuly 2018Teleaudiology services for rehabilitation with hearing aids in adults: A systematic review
This review provides up-to-date evidence for teleaudiology hearing aid services in new and experienced hearing aid users in different practice settings
Published research Ear HealthJuly 2018Cochrane corner: hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults
The evidence supports the widespread provision of hearing aids as the first-line clinical management for those seeking help for hearing difficulties
Published research Ear HealthJune 2018Topical antiseptics for chronic suppurative otitis media
To assess the effects of topical antiseptics for people with chronic suppurative otitis media
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJune 2018Antibiotics versus topical antiseptics for chronic suppurative otitis media
To assess the effectiveness of antibiotics versus antiseptics for people with chronic suppurative otitis media.
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJune 2018Aural toilet (ear cleaning) for chronic suppurative otitis media
To assess the effects of aural toilet procedures for people with chronic suppurative otitis media
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJune 2018Topical antibiotics with steroids for chronic suppurative otitis media
To assess the effects of adding a topical steroid to topical antibiotics in the treatment of people with chronic suppurative otitis media
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJune 2018Topical antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media
To assess the effects of topical antibiotics for people with chronic suppurative otitis media.
Published research Ear Infections Ear HealthJune 2018Systemic antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media
To assess the effects of systemic antibiotics for people with chronic suppurative otitis media.
Published research Ear Infections Ear Health Infectious Disease Implementation Research Vaccine Trials GroupJune 2018Topical versus systemic antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media
To assess the relative effectiveness of topical versus systemic antibiotics for people with chronic suppurative otitis media
Published research Ear Infections Ear Health Infectious Disease Implementation Research Vaccine Trials GroupFebruary 2018Associations between cardiovascular disease and its risk factors with hearing loss—A cross-sectional analysis
We investigate the relationship between hearing loss and cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Published research Ear HealthJanuary 2018Telehealth for Diagnosis of Hearing Loss
Telehealth offers unique opportunities for providing access to hearing healthcare ser- vices to underserved populations
Published research Ear HealthJanuary 2018Telehealth for Audiological Management
This chapter focuses on the management of those with hearing impairment, and how tele-audiological tools and approaches may assist to improve service delivery
Published research Ear HealthSeptember 2017Cochrane Corner: interventions to improve hearing aid use in adult auditory rehabilitation
This "Cochrane Corner" will be a recurring feature in the journal that highlights systematic reviews relevant to audiology, with invited commentary to aid clinical decision making.
Published research Ear HealthMay 2017Mental health problems among 4–17-year-olds with hearing problems: results from a nationally representative study
Clinicians caring for children and young people with hearing problems should be alert for heightened risk of specific mental health problems based on age and the nature of hearing problems.
Published research Health Promotion & Education Human Capability Ear Health Youth Mental HealthFebruary 2017Protective benefit of predominant breastfeeding against otitis media may be limited to early childhood: results from a prospective birth cohort study
Our findings are in line with a number of epidemiological studies which show a positive association between breastfeeding and OM in early childhood
Published research Breastfeeding Ear Infections Autism Research Genetics and HealthApril 2015Prevalence and risk factors for parent-reported recurrent otitis media during early childhood
The prevalence of parent-reported rOM was 26.8% (611/2280) and 5.5% (125/2280) for severe rOM in the Study.
Published research Ear Infections Autism Research Genetics and HealthOctober 2014Prevalence and risk factors for parent-reported recurrent otitis media during early childhood
The objective was to describe the prevalence and risk factors of recurrent otitis media (rOM) in an urban Australian population at 3 years of age.
Published research Autism Research Genetics and Health -
Awards/Honours