Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System
Background: Hearing loss poses a significant burden globally. Its prevalence is exceptionally high in countries across the African region, where healthcare resources and services remain inaccessible. This study aimed to describe audiologists’ perceptions regarding hearing healthcare resources and se...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Health Services Insights |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329221135424 |
| _version_ | 1811318507173838848 |
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| author | Aaqilah Bhamjee Talita le Roux Kurt Schlemmer Marien Alet Graham Faheema Mahomed-Asmail |
| author_facet | Aaqilah Bhamjee Talita le Roux Kurt Schlemmer Marien Alet Graham Faheema Mahomed-Asmail |
| author_sort | Aaqilah Bhamjee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Hearing loss poses a significant burden globally. Its prevalence is exceptionally high in countries across the African region, where healthcare resources and services remain inaccessible. This study aimed to describe audiologists’ perceptions regarding hearing healthcare resources and services within South Africa’s public healthcare system. Methods: A national self-developed telephonic survey was conducted with audiologists in public healthcare system hospitals across South Africa, with the final sample comprising 100 audiologists. Results: Most (82%) audiologists indicated that their hospitals did not have adequate hearing healthcare resources to render efficient audiology services to patients. Binaural amplification devices (invasive and non-invasive) for adults with bilateral hearing loss who adhered to the criteria for these devices were perceived to be unavailable in most hospitals. Audiologists also perceived that universal newborn hearing screening services, adult aural rehabilitation services, and follow-up care for all hearing devices post-warranty expiration were limited. Conclusion: Efforts should be made to upsurge hearing healthcare resources, including increasing the financial budgets allocated to audiology resources so that increased diagnostic and screening audiology equipment and hearing devices can be procured where required, and additional audiologists can be employed within the South African public sector hospitals where needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:26:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8d7e14a645040bcb6995ba91e651744 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-6329 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:26:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Services Insights |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8d7e14a645040bcb6995ba91e6517442022-12-22T02:47:00ZengSAGE PublishingHealth Services Insights1178-63292022-11-011510.1177/11786329221135424Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare SystemAaqilah Bhamjee0Talita le Roux1Kurt Schlemmer2Marien Alet Graham3Faheema Mahomed-Asmail4Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaDepartment of ENT Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban, South AfricaDepartment of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaBackground: Hearing loss poses a significant burden globally. Its prevalence is exceptionally high in countries across the African region, where healthcare resources and services remain inaccessible. This study aimed to describe audiologists’ perceptions regarding hearing healthcare resources and services within South Africa’s public healthcare system. Methods: A national self-developed telephonic survey was conducted with audiologists in public healthcare system hospitals across South Africa, with the final sample comprising 100 audiologists. Results: Most (82%) audiologists indicated that their hospitals did not have adequate hearing healthcare resources to render efficient audiology services to patients. Binaural amplification devices (invasive and non-invasive) for adults with bilateral hearing loss who adhered to the criteria for these devices were perceived to be unavailable in most hospitals. Audiologists also perceived that universal newborn hearing screening services, adult aural rehabilitation services, and follow-up care for all hearing devices post-warranty expiration were limited. Conclusion: Efforts should be made to upsurge hearing healthcare resources, including increasing the financial budgets allocated to audiology resources so that increased diagnostic and screening audiology equipment and hearing devices can be procured where required, and additional audiologists can be employed within the South African public sector hospitals where needed.https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329221135424 |
| spellingShingle | Aaqilah Bhamjee Talita le Roux Kurt Schlemmer Marien Alet Graham Faheema Mahomed-Asmail Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System Health Services Insights |
| title | Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_full | Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_fullStr | Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_short | Audiologists’ Perceptions of Hearing Healthcare Resources and Services in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_sort | audiologists perceptions of hearing healthcare resources and services in south africa s public healthcare system |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329221135424 |
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