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Development of the EarInfoNet

Development of the Indigenous EarInfoNet is being undertaken by Menzies School of Health Research (view website) in partnership with the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (view website). Its development is being guided by a national Reference Group and the Indigenous EarInfoNetwork, an informal national network of people working in the field of Indigenous ear health and hearing. » more information

The Pratt Foundation is providing funds for ongoing development of the EarInfoNet. Variety, the Children's Charity facilitated access to funding from the Pratt Foundation. The Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health provided initial funding to get the project underway. Core funding for the HealthInfoNet is provided by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH). Other support is provided by Edith Cowan University.

The need for better information and resources

Development of the EarInfoNet recognises the urgent need to improve approaches to otitis media and hearing loss, which are serious public health problems for Indigenous Australians. According to the World Health Organization, rates of ongoing middle ear infection with eardrum perforation and discharge (chronic suppurative otitis media) that affect more than 4% of the population represent a serious public health problem. In some remote Indigenous communities, rates of ear drum perforation exceed 60%, and up to 50% of children have been found to have educationally significant hearing loss and would benefit from sound amplification. Some Indigenous children have pus discharging from their ears for years. This impairs hearing in the short term, and affects essential early childhood development (particularly speech development). It can also lead to permanent hearing loss if parts of the middle ear and ear drum are damaged. Hearing loss can affect a child’s education and social relationships, and even job opportunities in adulthood. The reasons for the very high rates of ear disease are complex, but include poverty, poor housing, overcrowding and an over-stretched health care-system.

Sharing information about research and practice

There is a large body of knowledge about how best to prevent, diagnose, treat and manage middle ear disease and associated communication and learning problems, but many people involved in the area of Indigenous ear health, hearing and education work in remote areas of Australia and do not have ready access to good quality information and resources.

The EarInfoNet: includes reviews; guidelines; resources and equipment; programs, projects and lessons; policies and strategies; publications; and links. It also includes information about research activity, funding opportunities, organisations, agencies and individuals working in the field, news and events and training programs.

The resource has been designed to cater to an audience of mixed cultural and educational backgrounds. Some people will not have ready access to the Internet and so the resource will actively encourage the downloading of material for use by Indigenous families and communities.

Indigenous EarInfoNet Reference Group

Development of this web resource and the associated yarning place is guided by a national reference group. The EarInfoNet Reference Group, comprising people working as practitioners, and/or researchers in the area of ear health and hearing among Indigenous peoples, provides advice on:

  • content of the web resources, including the co-opting of people for expert advice;
  • priorities for future development of content areas;
  • promotion of the resource and of the HealthInfoNet 's work among people and organisations involved in areas that address the ear health and hearing among Indigenous peoples. This includes the development and enhancement of linkages with relevant organisations/agencies. They will also look at aspects of the associated 'yarning places' – electronic networks based on the ‘community of practice' (CoP) model – in their area(s) of interest (including how to promote their use, providing contact details for potential members, etc);
  • appointment of HealthInfoNet Consultants in the area of ear health and hearing issues among Indigenous peoples.

Members of the EarInfoNet Reference Group are:

  • Assoc. Professor Peter Morris (Chair)

Peter Morris has worked at the Menzies School of Health Research since 1994. He has participated in a number of research projects that have aimed to improve medical management of otitis media in rural and remote Aboriginal children across the Northern Territory. He is also a paediatrician at the Royal Darwin Hospital and conducts clinics at remote communities on the Tiwi Islands. He is an Associate Professor and Clinical Epidemiologist at the NT Clinical School, Flinders University. He is a strong advocate for evidence-based medicine and the application of randomised controlled trials to address important health problems. He has been a reviewer with the Cochrane Collaboration since 1996 and an editor with the Acute Respiratory Infections Group since 2000. 

  • Dr Judith Boswell

Judith Boswell is Managing Director of Adelaide Hearing Consultants, a private Audiology consultancy based in South Australia. She is an Audiologist and a full member of the Audiological Society of Australia and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and holds clinical certificates from both organisations.

  • Associate Professor Harvey Coates

Harvey Coates is a Paediatric Otolaryngologist with a particular interest in research and treatment of Indigenous ear health. He is Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia in the School of Paediatrics and Child Health and Senior Otolaryngologist at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth. He is Chairman of the Aboriginal Sub-committee of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck and Surgery. His current research interests are the relationship of bacterial biofilms to otitis media, chronic rhinosinusitis and adenoid disease.

  • Mr Paul Huntley

Paul Huntley is a Senior Policy Officer with the Centre for Aboriginal Health, Sydney in the NSW Health Department. He coordinates the Otitis Media Screening Program for 0-6 year old Aboriginal Children. Paul worked with the Office for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health prior to moving to NSW Health in late 2001. He also has experience in financial management including audit and fraud control in relation to grant funding of the NGO sector.

  • Ms Sandra Nelson

Sandra Nelson is a Senior Registered Aboriginal Health Worker with Audiometry training. She has specialised in the field of ear and hearing health and has run a ear and hearing health clinic in a community controlled AMS. She is on a number of committees for research into ear and hearing health. She is also the Chairperson on an Indigenous Reference Group for the PneuMum clinical trial through Menzies School of health research. At present she works for NT Hearing, and is the Remote Community Audiometrist for East Arnhemland.

  • Professor Neil Thomson

Professor Neil Thomson is Director of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet.

  • Dr Andrew White

During secondments to Alice Springs Hospital in the mid 1990s Andrew developed an interest in Indigenous child health. He worked at Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin from 1998-2000 on several research projects related to child antecedents of adult renal disease. From late 2000 he has been working as a Community Paediatrician in remote Central Australia. His interests include providing general paediatric service to children in remote communities, epidemiology and prevention of ill health and improving primary health care for remote children.

  • Ms Sharon Weeks

  • Ms Christine Wright

Ms Christine Wright is an Advisory Teacher-Hearing Impairment at Atherton State School, Queensland

The reference group meetings also involve research/project officers Susie Hopkins from Menzies and Jane Burns from the HealthInfoNet who work on the development of the EarInfoNet.


Launch of the EarInfoNet

Ray Martin to launch Indigenous health project at Menzies School of Health Research Family Fun Day

Media personality, Mr Ray Martin, launched the Indigenous EarInfoNet at Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin on 16 March 2007. A Family Fun Day was held at Menzies which included kids entertainment, Captain Starlight (from the Starlight Foundation), traditional dancing, BBQ, Indigenous child health info, music, dancing and much much more!

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Last updated: 6 December 2007