Analysis of barriers and facilitators to early hearing detection and intervention in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Naedene Naidoo, Nasim B Khan
PMID 35144437WHAT IT FOUND
Audiologists and speech therapists in KwaZulu-Natal said South Africa's early hearing guidelines are useful but fit private care better than public care.
They named underfunding, staff shortages, weak follow-up, and family barriers as the main obstacles.
Key findings
01Participants said the early hearing guideline was helpful but more suited to private than public healthcare, and they wanted it reviewed more often than after about 10 years.
02Participants reported that public services were constrained by limited funding, shortage of audiologists, lack of equipment, large caseloads, and long waiting lists.
03Participants reported high loss to follow-up in both public and private settings, and they linked poor follow-up to transport cost, rural access, cultural beliefs, and caregiver grief.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was 12 audiologists and speech therapists in KwaZulu-Natal only, so the themes may not apply to other provinces or professions. The phone interviews were limited to 45 to 60 minutes, which may have reduced the depth of responses. Background noise affected some recordings, and some words or phrases could not be transcribed. Six participants checked their transcripts and made no changes, so not all participants verified the analysis.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that any strategy will improve early hearing services. The study reports the views of 12 audiologists and speech therapists in one province, not measured patient outcomes.