Supporting hearing health in vulnerable populations through community care workers using mHealth technologies

eHealth Technologies Enable more Accessible Hearing Care

“…21,32,33 Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of communitybased hearing screening for children and adults facilitated by community or lay health workers in schools, preschools, and homes using eHealth technologies with remote audiological support. 21,25,29,34 Integrated cloud data management systems allow these eHealth technologies to send text message referrals based on geolocation. Diagnostic services at primary health care clinics, using the same platform, allows viewing of patient test results, tracking follow-up returns, and facilitating automated diagnostic audiometry and remote review by an audiologist to support treatment or referral decisions.…”

“…In recent years, we have endeavored to develop, implement, and evaluate several communitydelivered hearing care models using eHealth technologies facilitated by minimally trained persons in a variety of low-income settings. 21,25,29,34 Using task shifting, 32 minimally trained persons in these implementation studies have included lay community members, CHWs, community care workers, and teachers. Hearing services have included awareness initiatives, hearing screening, referral, follow-up, and diagnostics within home, preschool, school, and clinic settings.…”

“…Hearing services have included awareness initiatives, hearing screening, referral, follow-up, and diagnostics within home, preschool, school, and clinic settings. 21,25,29,34 Community members providing these services are consistently positive in terms of ease of use, need for services, value to the community, and time efficiency. 25,34 A recent implementation study investigated mHealth-supported community-based preschool screening in low-income communities in the Western Cape, South Africa.…”

“…21,25,29,34 Community members providing these services are consistently positive in terms of ease of use, need for services, value to the community, and time efficiency. 25,34 A recent implementation study investigated mHealth-supported community-based preschool screening in low-income communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. With no systematic screening programs in LMICs, Figure 1 Community-based preschool hearing screening facilitated by trained lay health workers using eHealth technologies.…”

Applied tele-audiology research in clinical practice during the past decade: a scoping review

“…Perspectives of providers, adult patients, parents of paediatric patients, and test facilitators related to tele-audiology services were explored in 22 studies. Two studies sought perspectives related to screening (Ciccia et al 2011;van Wyk et al 2019), four related to diagnostics (Hayes et al 2012;Dharmar et al 2016;Ramkumar et al 2016;Hatton et al 2019), six related to cochlear implants (Rodr ıguez et al 2010;Wasowski et al 2012;Hughes et al 2012;Kuzovkov et al 2014;Cullington and Agyemang-Prempeh 2017;Slager et al 2019), four related to hearing aids (Penteado et al 2014;Novak et al 2016;Muñoz et al 2017;Thrum, Driscoll, and Keogh 2018), and three related to rehabilitation (Br€ annstr€ om et al, 2016;Beukes et al 2017;Thrum, Driscoll, and Keogh 2018). Three studies sought perspectives of audiologists broadly related to tele-audiology services (Singh et al 2014;Eikelboom and Swanepoel 2016;Rashid et al 2019).…”