Audiological follow-up in a risk-based newborn hearing screening programme: An exploratory study of the influencing factors.
Amisha Kanji, Kirsten Krabbenhoft
PMID 30456962WHAT IT FOUND
Ten caregivers who returned for infant hearing follow-up said friendly audiologists, clear communication, and reminders helped.
Distance, transport, and unfamiliar facilities made return hard. They wanted hearing screening co-located with other child health visits.
Key findings
01All ten caregivers reported that friendly audiologists, clear caregiver-audiologist communication, and reminders helped them attend follow-up.
02Five caregivers reported living far from the hospital as the most significant challenge, and half reported lack of available transport.
03Participants wanted services in one place and all-at-once appointments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Only ten caregivers were interviewed, all of them at one hospital, so their views cannot be taken as typical of all caregivers. The study included only caregivers who returned for follow-up, so it does not explain why others did not return. Participants had to speak and understand English, and no trained interpreter was available, so caregivers who speak other languages were not represented. Interviews could not be audio recorded, and the researcher scribed and transcribed them, so exact wording may depend on transcription. Cultural beliefs about hearing loss were not explored.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that friendly audiologists, reminders, or services in one place will improve follow-up return rates. This study interviewed ten caregivers who had already returned, and it did not test these factors.