Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences in Workers’ Health Reference Centres in Brazil

Abstract

Purpose: to investigate the presence of Speech-Language and Hearing (SLH) professionals in the teams of Workers’ Health Reference Centres (Centros de Referência em Saúde do Trabalhador - CEREST) in Brazil, their distribution and features related to inclusion and activities. Methods: a descriptive, epidemiological study, in which all the CERESTs in the country were units of observation. Primary data were collected by applying a questionnaire to the CEREST Coordinator or one of their designated representatives. Results: 158 of the 199 eligible CERESTs participated in the research. In 2014, 48.1% of these CEREST had an SLH professional on their team, with the highest number in the Southeast and the lowest in the North Region. When present, statutory contracts were the most common form of employment. Approximately 75% of the CEREST with a SLH professional in the team reported surveillance activities in general, as well as actions specific to noise-induced hearing loss and work-related voice disorders. However, in 7.9% of these units, the SLH professionals were exclusively dedicated to clinical care. Conclusion: this study describes and examines the incipient inclusion of SLH professionals in CEREST, providing evidence that indicates regional inequalities and reveals that, despite generally working in health surveillance activities, there remain units where the SLH professionals are only dedicated to specialized care.

Training and work of speech-language-hearing public health professors in public higher education institutions in Brazil

“…This association is greater in the Southeast and Northeast Regions, as the figure shows the proximity between these variables. Doctoral degrees are the most therapists in SUS, while the North and Northeast had the smallest proportion of these professionals, despite the growth in the last years 15,16 .…”

Hearing prevention program: how speech-language pathologists and audiologists work in the occupational health area

“…The least reported category by the SLPs referred to the activities regarding the workplace profiling and the proposal of risk control. However, the prevention of auditory disorders, as well as of other effects related to the exposure to high levels of noise on the organism, is held by reducing the exposure or by eliminating noise from workplaces 5 . Ear protectors are advisable for workers to wear until collective changes and environmental changes are established.…”

“…According to the Resolution of the Federal Speech-Language Pathology Board 4 , speech-language pathologists/audiologists, who work in the Occupational Health area, must monitor, identify and intervene the factors that may determine occupational health hazards. Therefore, they should not only diagnose hearing health conditions, but also conduct preventive interventions, guided by workers' fully-delivered health care 5,6 . The implementation of Hearing Prevention Programs is encouraged in order to reduce occupational hearing loss in an effective way, such as Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) 7 .…”

Formação e atuação de docentes de saúde coletiva fonoaudiólogos de instituições de educação superior públicas no Brasil

“…Legenda: IES -Instituições de Educação Superior Na realidade brasileira, ainda é possível observar-se uma desigualdade na oferta de serviços fonoaudiológicos entre as regiões, característica essa que pode ser observada em diferentes níveis de atenção e serviços. Estudos apontam que o Sudeste é a região que possui a maior concentração de fonoaudiólogo no SUS, e as regiões Norte e Nordeste as que possuem uma menor proporção de profissionais, apesar da expansão da oferta que nos últimos anos 15,16 .…”