'We manage, but yeah, it's challenging': A mixed-methods study of enablers and barriers to hearing assessments for parents of children in metropolitan and regional Australia.
Jenna Zussino, Barbra Zupan, Robyn Preston
PMID 37661292WHAT IT FOUND
Parents identified family circumstances like health literacy, income, and advocacy skills as bigger barriers to hearing assessments than geography.
Key enablers were flexible scheduling, private coverage, and knowing how to navigate the health system.
Key findings
01Access barriers depended more on individual family circumstances than on whether parents lived in metropolitan or regional areas.
02Health literacy acted as a major enabler, allowing parents to identify concerns early, navigate referral systems, and prepare their children for assessments.
03Service flexibility was critical; parents valued being able to choose appointment times that suited their family and to bundle assessments with other visits.
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 small and skewed towards highly educated, middle-to-high income earners who were predominantly English-speaking and female. There were no participants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, limiting the applicability of findings to immigrant families. Recruitment via social media failed to reach parents in remote areas, resulting in no interview data from this group. The study may have selected for parents who were already motivated or had specific negative experiences, potentially missing those who had given up seeking services.
Declared interests
The lead author received funding from Central Queensland University as part of her PhD thesis. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that geographic location is the primary barrier to hearing assessment access. This study found that family circumstances, particularly health literacy and advocacy skills, were more decisive factors than whether a parent lived in a metropolitan or regional area.