Newborn and infant hearing screening at primary healthcare clinics in South Africa designated as National Health Insurance pilot sites: An exploratory study.
Amisha Kanji
PMID 35144438WHAT IT FOUND
Most surveyed South African primary care clinics lack the equipment, trained staff, and protocols to screen newborns for hearing loss.
Only 11% had an otoscope, and just 26% offered screening. Clinicians should not assume these sites are ready for hearing screening without first securing resources and training.
Key findings
01Only 11% of responding clinics had an otoscope, and no respondents reported having specific hearing screening equipment like otoacoustic emissions or auditory brainstem response devices.
02Just 26% of clinics offered universal newborn hearing screening, while 37% reported providing some form of hearing screening service, often inconsistently.
03Only 11% of nursing staff at these clinics had been trained to conduct newborn hearing screening.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The response rate was very low (22%), with only 7 of 32 invited clinics participating, which limits the ability to generalise these findings to all pilot sites. The study relied on self-reported data from managers, which may not accurately reflect actual clinical practice or equipment availability. The sample was purposive and small, so it may not represent the broader South African primary healthcare system.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The study received ethical clearance from the University’s Medical Ethics Committee and permission from provincial health departments.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low screening rates as evidence that these clinics are unwilling to screen. The study shows they are unable to do so because they lack the necessary equipment and trained staff. Blaming the clinics for poor coverage ignores the structural resource gaps identified in the survey.