CHAMP is a network of medical experts who are involved with the medical and surgical management of children with hearing loss.
CHAMP Description and Aims
The Childhood Hearing Australasian Medical Professionals (CHAMP) Network is a group of Australian and New Zealand doctors who have a special interest in childhood hearing loss. It comprises of over 30 paediatricians, otolaryngologists (ENT specialists) and geneticists. Its vision is to optimise care and outcomes of children with hearing loss and their families, by:
- Sharing information, experience and expertise;
- Advocating for hearing-impaired children and their families;
- Improving health professional knowledge of medical management of hearing-impaired children by:
- Collaborating on national guidelines on medical management,
- Disseminating knowledge through presentations and education platforms, and
- Developing resources for health professionals and families;
- Exploring ways to facilitate quality improvement in the care of hearing-impaired children and their families (including ways to establish a national clinical registry of children with hearing loss); and
- Sharing and establishing research ideas and collaborations.
CHAMP was established 2016 (updated 31/01/2021)
Chairs: Valerie Sung and Karen Liddle
CHAMP Outcomes and Impacts
- Supported establishment of new paediatric clinical services for deaf and hard of hearing children
- Provided collaborative platform for professional development and expert roundtable discussions on challenging clinical cases
- 2019: Publication of the first national consensus guidelines on medical investigation and management of childhood hearing loss: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpc.14508
http://www3.health.vic.gov.au/healthvictoria/oct19/hearing.htm - 2021: Publication of parent information resources:
- Medical investigation and management of childhood hearing loss: https://www.newbornhearingscreening.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2101_CCCH_CHAMP-guidelines.pdf
- Congenital cytomegalovirus as a cause of hearing loss: https://www.newbornhearingscreening.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2101_CCCH_CMV_FAQs_CHAMP.pdf
- How to take saliva sample from a baby for a CMV test: https://www.newbornhearingscreening.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2101_CCCH_CMV_Saliva-Collection_CHAMP.pdf
- 2021: Publication in Audiology Now (Issue 83), magazine publication of Audiology Australia: ‘Guidelines on medical investigation of childhood hearing loss’
- 2021: Endorsement and advocacy for Medical Services Advisory Committee application 1680: ‘Genetic testing for childhood hearing impairment’ https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/msac/publishing.nsf/Content/1680-public
- 2022 Aussie Deaf Kids webinar – ‘Finding a cause for your child’s hearing loss’: https://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/courses/courses/finding-a-cause-for-your-childs-hearing-loss/
- 2022: Contribution to reviewing work by the Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee towards the 2022 virtual workshop: ‘Screening beyond UNHS: Working Towards Consensus’
- Advocacy from the CHAMP network, in collaboration with other organisations, led to the Victorian Department of Education’s reversal in decision of proposed funding cuts to visiting teachers in Victoria (August 2023).
CHAMP position statement:
CHAMP Funding
The CHAMP Network operates independently and currently does not receive any funding.
We thank the Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee for its support in establishing the CHAMP Network and facilitating the 2019 guidelines development.
We thank Deaf Children Australia and the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Centre for Community Child Health for supporting our work in developing the 2021 parent information resources.
For Professionals
CHAMP has produced Guidelines for medical investigations and management of childhood hearing loss in Australia, published in 2019. Click here to access this resource.
For Parents
CHAMP has produced some resources for parents relating to medical investigations and management of childhood hearing loss, congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a cause of hearing loss, and how to take saliva sample from a baby for a CMV test.
CHAMP Terms of Reference
Download PDF: CHAMP ToR 20230929
Members
* Working group for consensus guidelines paper
Victoria:
- David Amor (Royal Children’s Hospital, Clinical Geneticist)*
- Robert Briggs (Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, ENT)
- Kai Chua (Royal Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Karen Davies (Royal Children’s Hospital, ENT)
- Lilian Downie (Victorian Clinical Genetics Service, Clinical Geneticist)*
- Marguerite Fulton (Barwon Health, Paediatrician)
- Duaa Gaafar (Royal Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Lawrence Gray (Barwon Health, Paediatrician)
- Matthew Hunter (Monash Health, clinical geneticist)*
- Claire Iseli (Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, ENT)
- Saniya Kazi (Monash Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Talia Maayan (Monash Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Brendan McCann (Western Health, Paediatrician)
- Stephen O’Leary (University of Melbourne/Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, ENT)
- Georgia Paxton (Royal Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)*
- Elizabeth Rose (Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, ENT)*
- Kerryn Saunders (Monash Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)*
- Valerie Sung (Royal Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)*
Queensland:
- Wei Wei Chan (Gold Coast University Hospital, Paediatrician)*
- Alison Harris (Queensland Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)*
- Majula Kannangara (Queensland Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Karen Liddle (Queensland Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)*
- Donna Taylor (Queensland Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Andrew White (Townsville Hospital, Paediatrician)
New South Wales:
- Catherine Birman (Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre, ENT)*
- Beverley Bennett (The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Paediatrician)
- Carolyn Cottier (Sydney Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)*
- Joanne McIntosh (John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Neonatologist)
- Ken Peacock (The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Paediatrician)*
- Elizabeth Peadon (The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Paediatrician)*
- Joanna Walton (The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, ENT)
South Australia:
- Deepa Jeyaseelan (Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Sonja Latzel (Women’s and Children’s Hospital, ENT)
Western Australia:
- Jafri Kuthubutheen (Perth Children’s Hospital, ENT)
- Allison Reid (Perth Children’s Hospital, ENT)
Tasmania:
- Victoria Carter (Royal Hobart Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Natasha Hamilton (Launceston General Hospital, Paediatrician)
- Sarah Middleton (North West Regional Hospital, Burnie, Paediatrician)
- Marie Rauter (Royal Hobart Hospital, Paediatrician)
New Zealand:
- Janet Geddes (Te Whatu Ora, Waitaha Canterbury, Paediatrician)
- Melanie Souter (Christchurch Hospital, Southern Cochlear Implant Program, ENT)
Past members:
- Sharon Greenwood (Queensland Children’s Hospital, paediatrician)
- Laurence Roddick (John Hunter Children’s Hospital Newcastle, paediatrician)*
- Nicola Spurrier (Flinders Medical Centre, paediatrician)
- Freya Summons (Melbourne, paediatrician)
- Deirdre White (Women’s and Children’s Hospital Adelaide, paediatrician)
- Eunice Chan (Royal Children’s Hospital, paediatric neurologist)
- Kristy Fraser-Kirk (Sunshine Coast University, ENT)
- Anagha Jayakar (Royal Hobart Hospital, paediatrician)
- David Newman (Waikato Hospital, New Zealand, paediatrician)
