Wisconsin researchers develop first hearing test for Hmong community
WUWM | May 26, 2023
After her father was unable to receive a hearing test because it didn’t exist in Hmong, School of Nursing Assistant Professor Maichou Lor, PhD, RN, spent years to develop the first Hmong hearing test of its kind. She created the test in collaboration with Burke Richmond, an assistant professor in the ear, nose, and throat division at the UW–Madison. Wisconsin is home to the third-largest Hmong population in the U.S., following Minnesota and California. Within the state, they represent the largest Asian American ethnic group. As the community ages, hearing loss is becoming a widespread problem. But few clinics are equipped to treat Hmong-speaking patients — amounting to a health disparity in their care, experts say.