Susan Emmett: This simple test can help kids hear better
TED Fellow Susan Emmett studies global hearing health disparities in 15 countries and Indigenous groups around the world, in an effort to fight preventable hearing loss. Full bio
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of why hearing matters
to fish on the open water,
to Alaskan Native culture.
estimates there are 1.1 billion people
population here in sub-Saharan Africa.
and middle-income countries,
is tremendous.
I treated in Alaska.
when he was barely four months old.
compared to his brothers.
had resulted in hearing loss.
will continue to lag behind.
that half of all global hearing loss
is identified and treated promptly,
he has as he grows up
with partners around the world
for hearing loss prevention.
with a tribal health organization
Health Corporation.
requires testing by an audiologist
Anuk's ears under a microscope
available in remote settings.
aren't connected to a hospital
Alaska has developed
village health clinics
all types of health concerns.
that ear-related telemedicine consults
for 91 percent of patients
in the Norton Sound region.
in travel costs in this single region
of telemedicine to a new level,
Outcomes Research Institute.
we are merging telemedicine
beyond health care settings.
developed in South Africa,
than traditional equipment
and noise monitoring
instead of a microscope
screening and images are done.
telemedicine technology
to the treatment he needs.
hearing loss across the state of Alaska.
than a single state.
can revolutionize access to care.
two ear surgeons and 11 audiologists
and community health workers
to children in places like Malawi.
could change children's lives
to hearing care before,
of preventable hearing loss.
are depending on us.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Susan Emmett - Ear surgeonTED Fellow Susan Emmett studies global hearing health disparities in 15 countries and Indigenous groups around the world, in an effort to fight preventable hearing loss.
Why you should listen
Susan Emmett is an ear surgeon and public health expert who develops evidence-based solutions to address preventable hearing loss. She studies novel pathways for prevention and applies digital innovations such as mobile screening and telemedicine to extend access to care to even the most remote communities. Collaboration across disciplines and countries is central to Emmett's research, fueling a global effort to address a neglected public health concern.
Emmett serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery and Global Health at Duke University in Durham, NC, USA. She has been an invited speaker at more than 20 international and national conferences and has authored numerous articles on hearing health in leading medical journals. She consults for the World Health Organization and leads the advocacy efforts of the Coalition for Global Hearing Health. Emmett spends much of her time in remote communities in northwest Alaska, where she co-leads a randomized trial to address childhood hearing loss funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. While at home in North Carolina, she provides medical and surgical care to patients with hearing loss and trains the next generation of medical students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows in global hearing health research. She was named a TED Fellow in 2017.
Susan Emmett | Speaker | TED.com