About UCSF EARS
UCSF EARS — Equitable Access to Rehabilitative Services — offers free hearing and tinnitus education, videos, and interactive tools in 12 languages. It helps patients and families understand options, prepare questions, recognize urgent concerns, and take an appropriate next step before, between, and after clinical visits.
Start here
Most people get the fastest results by starting with one short tool, then following the recommended next steps.
What EARS is (and what it isn’t)
The platform brings together six topic hubs, interactive tools for navigation and visit preparation, and multilingual educational videos. Resources show their review status so readers can distinguish available information from content that has completed additional clinical or translation review.
Short tools and guides designed to help you decide what to do next—without overwhelming you with options.
We prioritize reputable medical sources and guidelines, and we revise content as evidence changes.
When symptoms can be urgent, we say so clearly and route you to appropriate care.
Important boundary
EARS is educational and does not diagnose or replace clinical care. If you think you may be having an emergency, call 911 or seek emergency care.
How to use EARS
- Start with a tool (often the Survey) to identify your most relevant next steps.
- Follow the links to targeted guides, strategies, or additional tools.
- Bring what you learned to your appointment: symptoms, priorities, and questions.
Trust and transparency
The simple version
We publish helpful content as soon as it meets baseline safety and clarity standards, then we label it so you can see what level of review it has.
Source (usually English) review status:
Translation status (only on non-English pages):
What the labels mean (canonical)
- AI Draft AI-assisted draft that has not yet had clinician editing. Useful for orientation, but not a substitute for clinical advice. More about AI Draft.
- Clinician-edited First pass by one clinician. Edited by a clinician for clarity, safety framing (“when to get checked”), and consistent routing across EARS.
- Clinically reviewed Second pass by review team. An additional clinician has reviewed for medical accuracy and safety framing. This is the “English/source finalized” state, but pages can still be updated as science and best practices evolve.
- Translation available A non-English version exists but has not yet been verified by a professional translator/medical interpreter. It may be AI-assisted and should be treated as a helpful draft until verified.
- Translation verified This language version has been reviewed by a professional translator/medical interpreter for meaning, tone, and medical terms.
How to read labels on translated pages
Review labels describe the source (usually English) review status. On non-English pages, look for Translation verified when a human translator has verified that specific language page. If a non-English page does not show it, that language version may still be an AI-assisted translation pending verification.
How content moves (high-level)
- Draft (sometimes AI-assisted)
- Clinician edit for clarity, safety framing, and routing.
- Additional clinician review when the topic is higher-stakes.
- Translation + verification when available.
- Maintenance as evidence changes and feedback reveals confusion.
Safety is always routed
Regardless of label, urgent symptom routing stays consistent across EARS. For hearing/tinnitus/balance red flags, use /en/emergency.
More about standards and process
The rules: sourcing, safety framing, corrections, and accessibility.
How content moves from draft → clinician-edited → clinically reviewed → translation verified (if applicable).
What “AI Draft” means, what it doesn’t mean, and how to use it safely.
A full library of pages, tools, and guides across EARS.
This site will keep growing
As EARS expands, we aim to keep navigation simple and content consistent. If a page feels confusing or missing key context, your feedback helps improve it.
Part of UC HEARS
UCSF EARS is the flagship digital platform of UC HEARS, a UCSF-led program building a Learning Health System for hearing and tinnitus care. UC HEARS connects patient education with developing professional tools, shared care pathways, and clinical data infrastructure for continuous improvement. Learn about the program’s vision, current work, and collaboration.
For clinicians and referring providers
UCSF EARS patient resources are available for use around clinical visits. Professional tools and shared care pathways are in development through UC HEARS.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or collaboration inquiries: EARS Contact Page · [email protected]
Medical disclaimer
EARS is educational and does not provide diagnosis or treatment. If you think you may be having an emergency, call 911 or seek emergency care.
The Bottom Line
UCSF EARS brings together leading audiologists, otolaryngologists, and communication specialists to make evidence-based hearing health education accessible, transparent, and actionable for all communities.
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