Infection prevention and control measures in audiology practice within public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.
Nasim B Khan, Chenay R Charles, Naedene Naidoo and 3 others
PMID 31793311WHAT IT FOUND
Audiologists and speech therapists in South African public clinics report variable infection control.
Fewer washed hands before than after patients, gloves were often not worn for every patient, and most did not disinfect touch surfaces or toys after each appointment.
Key findings
01Most participants washed hands after each patient, but fewer washed before managing patients, and only about two-thirds washed after removing gloves.
02Glove use was inconsistent across procedures, with many wearing gloves only sometimes rather than always for evoked potential testing, vestibular testing, earmould impressions and hearing aid fittings.
03Equipment and surfaces were not reliably disinfected after each appointment, with very few reporting disinfection of touch surfaces after every appointment and only about half disinfecting paediatric toys after each appointment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a small convenience sample of 49 respondents from public facilities in one province, so it may not reflect private practice or other regions. Practices were self-reported and not observed, so responses may be influenced by what participants thought was expected rather than what they actually do. The survey captured opinions and reported behaviours, not measured infection rates, so it cannot show whether these practices caused or prevented infections. Information bias may have occurred if participants completed the questionnaire quickly without considering each item.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding statement is provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these findings as evidence that specific infection control practices caused or prevented infections. The study reports self-reported behaviours and opinions from a small survey sample, so it describes practice gaps rather than measuring clinical outcomes.