A call to action for the inclusion of ENT/Audiology services in the public health approach to addressing non-communicable diseases in the Pacific Islands

Kaspar, Annette; Pifeleti, Sione

doi:10.1016/j.puhip.2021.100123

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The ENT Department of the Tupua Tamasese Meaole (TTM) Hospital in Samoa is currently developing their ENT and audiology services to include public health and community outreach programs. 26,27 The second author is a General/ENT Surgeon, who re-established the ENT Department of Samoa in 2017. He is an active member of the Samoan Medical Association and has been affiliated with the National University of Samoa (NUS) School of Medicine for the past 6 years as a guest lecturer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and Attitudes of Pacific Islander Doctors and Medical Students to Childhood Hearing Loss and Hearing Services: Results of a Structured Questionnaire Survey in SAMOA

Kaspar

Pifeleti

Driscoll

et al. 2022

Global Pediatric Health

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The Pacific Islands have among the highest global rates of childhood hearing loss in the world. Given the scarcity of ENT Specialists and audiologists in the region, the role of the wider health professional community in addressing preventable childhood hearing loss is crucial. A 10-item 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to medical officers and medical students in Samoa. The statements aimed to investigate knowledge and attitudes to childhood hearing loss and hearing services. Overall, 95.8% of participants selected “Disagree/Strongly Disagree” in response to the statement “Hearing loss is not that important because it does not kill.” There was good knowledge regarding early detection and intervention services for infant hearing assessments (73.6%) and amplification suitability for babies (69.4%-72.2%). Highest knowledge of causes of childhood sensorineural hearing loss was measured for neonatal meningitis/seizures (55.6%), followed by intra-uterine infections (52.8%), and aminoglycosides (52.8%). Knowledge was lowest for jaundice (33.3%) and birth asphyxia (38.9%).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and Attitudes of Pacific Islander Doctors and Medical Students to Childhood Hearing Loss and Hearing Services: Results of a Structured Questionnaire Survey in SAMOA

Kaspar

Pifeleti

Driscoll

et al. 2022

Global Pediatric Health

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“…33 The audiology clinic is working with the PEN FaaSamoa initiative to develop a hearing screening protocol for primary care providers for people living with non-communicable diseases, and a screening version of the RHHI questionnaire would be a suitable option for identifying people who may benefit from the specialist services of the ENT/Audiology Department. 9,10 The RHHI will also be used during our outreach community visits to older adults, and should provide preliminary information on the socio-emotional impacts of hearing loss: in the absence of epidemiology studies, this will be useful for service provision planning until formal hearing survey data are available.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,8 As well as age-related hearing loss, additional hearing deterioration due to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is likely to be high among this population, where Non-Communicable Diseases (ie, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) are a public health crisis. [9][10][11][12] Given the scarcity of hearing specialists in the Pacific Islands, 8,13 hearing aids are generally available only through overseas donation programs. The closure of international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of locally sustainable models of hearing aid service provision.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Levels of Satisfaction Among Hearing Aid Users in a Pilot Study for Sustainable Low-Cost Auditory Rehabilitation Services in Samoa

Kaspar,

Newall,

Pifeleti

et al. 2023

Health�Serv�Insights

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The provision of locally sustainable hearing aid device services is desirable in the Pacific Islands. The aim of the present study was (1) To assess the suitability of low-cost pre-programmable hearing aids in Samoa, a Polynesian nation of the Pacific Islands, and (2) To develop translations of established auditory rehabilitation questionnaires into the FaaSamoan language for clinical, public health, and research applications. A cross-over trial of 2 low-cost pre-programmable hearing aids among 20 adults in Samoa was conducted as part of a larger UN-funded global audiology study. The International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids, the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids for Significant Others, and the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory questionnaires were translated into the FaaSamoan language to assess the self-reported outcomes of study participants. Overall, high scores were measured for the self-reported outcome measures, suggesting good levels of use and satisfaction with the hearing aid devices. Overall, results found that once a hearing aid was fitted that 67.6% of participants reported no hearing handicap, 32.4% reported a mild to moderate hearing handicap, and no participant reported a significant hearing handicap.

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Deafness and the Tokelauan health model

Koro

Kaspar

2023

J Glob Health

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A call to action for the inclusion of ENT/Audiology services in the public health approach to addressing non-communicable diseases in the Pacific Islands

Cited by 3 publications

References 7 publications

Knowledge and Attitudes of Pacific Islander Doctors and Medical Students to Childhood Hearing Loss and Hearing Services: Results of a Structured Questionnaire Survey in SAMOA

Knowledge and Attitudes of Pacific Islander Doctors and Medical Students to Childhood Hearing Loss and Hearing Services: Results of a Structured Questionnaire Survey in SAMOA

High Levels of Satisfaction Among Hearing Aid Users in a Pilot Study for Sustainable Low-Cost Auditory Rehabilitation Services in Samoa

Deafness and the Tokelauan health model

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