期刊名称：South African Journal of Communication Disorders
印刷版ISSN：0379-8046
电子版ISSN：2225-4765
出版年度：2014
卷号：61
期号：1
页码：8-15
DOI：10.4102/sajcd.v61i1.62
出版社：AOSIS OpenJournals
摘要：Objective: A national survey of early hearing detection and intervention services was undertaken to describe the current status of diagnostic and intervention services in the South African private health care sector. Methods: All private hospitals with obstetric units ( n = 166) were surveyed telephonically. The data was integrated with data collected from self-administered questionnaires subsequently distributed nationally to private audiology practices providing hearing screening at the respective hospitals reporting hearing screening services ( n = 87). Data was analysed descriptively to yield national percentages and frequency distributions. Results: Average reported age at diagnosis was 11 months. Most participants (74%) indicated that less than 20% of infants fitted with hearing aids received amplification before the age of 6 months. Most (64%) participants indicated that the average period between confirmed diagnosis and hearing aid fitting was 1 month, on par with international benchmarks. Only 16%–23% of participants included all diagnostic procedures recommended by the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s 2007 position statement for minimum diagnostic test batteries for infants and young children. Conclusions: Diagnosis of hearing loss, hearing aid fitting and audiological intervention is delayed significantly in the South African private health care sector. Improved services should include integrated systematic hospital-based screening as part of birthing packages with diagnostic referral to specialist paediatric audiologists for accurate assessment and management of patients in a timely manner.
其他摘要：Objective: A national survey of early hearing detection and intervention services was undertaken to describe the current status of diagnostic and intervention services in the South African private health care sector. Methods: All private hospitals with obstetric units ( n = 166) were surveyed telephonically. The data was integrated with data collected from self-administered questionnaires subsequently distributed nationally to private audiology practices providing hearing screening at the respective hospitals reporting hearing screening services ( n = 87). Data was analysed descriptively to yield national percentages and frequency distributions. Results: Average reported age at diagnosis was 11 months. Most participants (74%) indicated that less than 20% of infants fitted with hearing aids received amplification before the age of 6 months. Most (64%) participants indicated that the average period between confirmed diagnosis and hearing aid fitting was 1 month, on par with international benchmarks. Only 16%–23% of participants included all diagnostic procedures recommended by the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s 2007 position statement for minimum diagnostic test batteries for infants and young children. Conclusions: Diagnosis of hearing loss, hearing aid fitting and audiological intervention is delayed significantly in the South African private health care sector. Improved services should include integrated systematic hospital-based screening as part of birthing packages with diagnostic referral to specialist paediatric audiologists for accurate assessment and management of patients in a timely manner.
关键词：Audiology; Paediatric Audiology; Early Intervention;newborn hearing screening; paediatric audiology; diagnostic audiology; early intervention; early hearing detection and intervention
其他关键词：newborn hearing screening;paediatric audiology;diagnostic audiology;early intervention;early hearing detection and intervention
