New and Revised Reporting Guidelines from the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium

The new and revised reporting guidelines of the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium published in this issue of the JOURNAL are the result of a great deal of thoughtful effort on the part of many people. During its deliberations the Committee took advantage of the knowledge and experience of Academy members, Committee members, audiologists, and colleagues around the world. The guidelines for hearing conservation in acoustic neuroma and for Meniere's disease were developed initially in the Subcommittees on Hearing and on Equilibrium, respectively. These personal comments are intended to expand upon and further explain the guidelines in order to encourage their implementation. The Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium set several goals: • To promote the use of scientific principles and clinical data in this area of otolaryngology; • To provide a set of standard guidelines that would facilitate the comparison of results between studies; and • To be consistent with existing Academy guidelines. In working toward these goals, the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium worked to clarify and simplify as much as possible, to avoid being overly comprehensive or complex, and to offer flexibility in application. The intent of these guidelines was not to be exclusive or coercive but to encourage investigation by creating opportunities for new studies.