Parents' needs following identification of childhood hearing loss.
OBJECTIVE
Appropriate support for families of children diagnosed with hearing impairment may have a direct impact on the success of early hearing detection and intervention programs in reducing the negative effects of permanent hearing loss. We conducted a qualitative study to explore parents' needs after learning of their child's hearing loss to better understand the important components of service delivery from families' perspectives.


METHODS
Semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 families (21 parents) of preschool children in 4 centers in Ontario, Canada. Parents of children identified by neonatal screening as well as those identified through traditional referral routes participated. We asked parents to share their perceptions of the strengths and gaps in the care system.


RESULTS
Although the majority of parents were satisfied with the range and quality of audiology and therapy services available, they identified gaps in the areas of service coordination, availability of information, and the integration of social service and parent support into the system. Access to audiology services appears to have been facilitated for children who were systematically screened.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings provide insights into the services most valued by families. These findings highlight the importance of eliciting parents' perspectives in designing optimal care models for children and families.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road (3071), Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada. elizabeth.fitzpatrick@uottawa.ca
Elizabeth
E
Fitzpatrick
Doug
D
Angus
Andrée
A
Durieux-Smith
Ian D
ID
Graham
Doug
D
Coyle
D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*