Infection prevention and control measures in audiology practice within public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa

Khan, Nasim; Charles, Chenay R.; Naidoo, Naedene; Nokubonga, Amanda; Mkhwanazi, Ndabenhle A.; Moustache, Hella M.T.E.

doi:10.4102/sajcd.v66i1.636

“…The earlier the better: Framing EHDI within preventive audiology Khan et al 2019;SASLHA 2011). The risk of health care associate infections may be further exacerbated by overcrowding in hospitals, high patient-to-professional ratios, old infrastructure, poor cleaning and transfer of patients with drug-resistant infections between hospitals (Dramowski & Whitelaw 2017).…”

Section: Health Care In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-based audiology services: An effective strategy for the prevention of hearing loss in rural communities

Joubert¹

2022

Preventive Audiology: An African Perspective

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Peer review declarationThe publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer Review of Scholarly Books'. The manuscript underwent an evaluation to compare the level of originality with other published works and was subjected to rigorous two-step peer review before publication, with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the editor(s) or author(s). The reviewers were independent of the publisher, editor(s), and author(s). The publisher shared feedback on the similarity report and the reviewers' inputs with the manuscript's editor(s) or author(s) to improve the manuscript. Where the reviewers recommended revision and improvements, the editor(s) or author(s) responded adequately to such recommendations. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the manuscript be published. v Research justificationPreventive health care, where preventive audiology is positioned, contains strategies adopted and implemented for disease and disorder prevention. Hearing function can be negatively impacted by numerous factors, including lifestyle choices, environmental factors, genetic predisposition, the burden of disease and other causes. Frequently, hearing impairment can be prevented and its consequences significantly minimised by preventive measures. Such prevention commands conscientiously deliberate anticipatory actions that can fall under primordial, primary, secondary or tertiary levels of prevention. South Africa, as a resource-constrained low-and middle-income country (LMIC), still has a challenge of high numbers of individuals with preventable hearing impairment from the cradle to the grave. Numerous strategies exist for the prevention of hearing impairment across all ages and in various contexts. Preventive Audiology: An African Perspective is an original scholarly book that introduces the concept of preventive audiology, with a specific focus on the African context, which is in line with the South African re-engineered primary health care strategy and the World Health Organization's approach. The book reflects on contextually relevant and responsive evidence-based perspectives, grounded in an African context on preventive audiology, in four major ear-and-hearing burdens of disease within the South African context, namely, (1) early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI), (2) middle ear pathologies, (3) ototoxicity and (4) noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The book represents innovative research, seen from both South African and global perspectives. It offers new discourse and argues for a paradigm shift in how audiology is theorised and performed, particularly in LMIC contexts. The goal of this book is to motivate for a paradigm shift in how ear-and-hearing health care is approached within this LMIC context, while also arguing for Afrocentric best practice evidence that leads to next practice. For Afrocentric epistemology, which is a different narrative that is deliberately removed from Western epi...

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“…The earlier the better: Framing EHDI within preventive audiology Khan et al 2019;SASLHA 2011). The risk of health care associate infections may be further exacerbated by overcrowding in hospitals, high patient-to-professional ratios, old infrastructure, poor cleaning and transfer of patients with drug-resistant infections between hospitals (Dramowski & Whitelaw 2017).…”

Section: Health Care In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Preventive audiology in the context of deafblindness

Moroe¹,

Masuku²

2022

Preventive Audiology: An African Perspective

5

0

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Peer review declarationThe publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer Review of Scholarly Books'. The manuscript underwent an evaluation to compare the level of originality with other published works and was subjected to rigorous two-step peer review before publication, with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the editor(s) or author(s). The reviewers were independent of the publisher, editor(s), and author(s). The publisher shared feedback on the similarity report and the reviewers' inputs with the manuscript's editor(s) or author(s) to improve the manuscript. Where the reviewers recommended revision and improvements, the editor(s) or author(s) responded adequately to such recommendations. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the manuscript be published. v Research justificationPreventive health care, where preventive audiology is positioned, contains strategies adopted and implemented for disease and disorder prevention. Hearing function can be negatively impacted by numerous factors, including lifestyle choices, environmental factors, genetic predisposition, the burden of disease and other causes. Frequently, hearing impairment can be prevented and its consequences significantly minimised by preventive measures. Such prevention commands conscientiously deliberate anticipatory actions that can fall under primordial, primary, secondary or tertiary levels of prevention. South Africa, as a resource-constrained low-and middle-income country (LMIC), still has a challenge of high numbers of individuals with preventable hearing impairment from the cradle to the grave. Numerous strategies exist for the prevention of hearing impairment across all ages and in various contexts. Preventive Audiology: An African Perspective is an original scholarly book that introduces the concept of preventive audiology, with a specific focus on the African context, which is in line with the South African re-engineered primary health care strategy and the World Health Organization's approach. The book reflects on contextually relevant and responsive evidence-based perspectives, grounded in an African context on preventive audiology, in four major ear-and-hearing burdens of disease within the South African context, namely, (1) early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI), (2) middle ear pathologies, (3) ototoxicity and (4) noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The book represents innovative research, seen from both South African and global perspectives. It offers new discourse and argues for a paradigm shift in how audiology is theorised and performed, particularly in LMIC contexts. The goal of this book is to motivate for a paradigm shift in how ear-and-hearing health care is approached within this LMIC context, while also arguing for Afrocentric best practice evidence that leads to next practice. For Afrocentric epistemology, which is a different narrative that is deliberately removed from Western epi...

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“…One clear strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures (Sarma et al, 2020 ). Personal protective equipment may, however, disrupt ECI services, as face masks obstruct visual access to the mouth and can reduce speech perception (Atcherson et al, 2017 ; Hashikawa et al, 2020 ; Khan et al, 2019 ). In addition, implementing IPC measures may be particularly challenging in ECI as young children are unable to perform adequate self-hygiene without supervision (Hashikawa et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Infection prevention and control measures are defined as actions that inhibit or reduce the spread of disease within an environment (Khan et al, 2019 ). Standard precautions should be used for all patients, and additional transmission-based precautions should be used for the management of droplets, close contact and airborne transmissions (Siegel, 2007 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Standard precautions should be used for all patients, and additional transmission-based precautions should be used for the management of droplets, close contact and airborne transmissions (Siegel, 2007 ). Adherence to IPC measures may include implementing teamwork, education and training, screening of patients, hand hygiene, disinfection and isolation of the ill (Khan et al, 2019 ; Northway, Langley, & Skippen, 2011 ; Siegel et al, 2007 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Challenges to infection control in early communication intervention: A scoping review

Achmat

¹

,

Gerber

²

2022

SAJCD

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Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are crucial to preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 . This study used a scoping review to investigate the challenges that exist when speech-language therapists (SLTs) use IPC measures for providing early communication intervention (ECI).Objectives: To describe existing, recent literature on PPE and IPC measures used in early intervention through a scoping review (steps 1-5) and to consult local clinicians to investigate how SLTs who provide ECI in South Africa relate to these findings (step 6 of the scoping review).Method: A scoping review was performed which followed the PRISMA-ScR framework. Because of limited literature on PPE and IPC measures used by SLTs in providing ECI, the inclusion criteria were adjusted to include PPE and IPC measures used by healthcare workers (HCWs) who provide early intervention to the population of infants and toddlers up to 3 years old. At the time of the review, articles were not older than 10 years and were published between 2011 and 2020. The scoping review included a consultation with South African SLTs who provide ECI, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. A pilot study was conducted prior to the consultations. Seventeen clinicians were included in total. Data from both the pilot study and main consultation were transcribed and analysed in the results using thematic analysis.Results: Fourteen articles were included in the study. The scoping review of existing literature identified challenges to implementing IPC measures, namely the care and behaviour of young children, infrastructure and system challenges, poor compliance and lack of training and a lack of standard IPC protocols. Clinicians in the consultation phase confirmed these challenges and reported that IPC measures did not consider ECI populations nor the settings in which services were provided. Suggestions from the literature for improved infection control included hand hygiene, improved supplies and infrastructure and education and training. Clinicians in the consultation added practical suggestions for implementing IPC measures within ECI, which included an increase in parent-led intervention as well as cleaning and disinfection strategies. Conclusion:This study identified challenges and recommendations of SLTs who use PPE and IPC measures whilst providing ECI. Understanding these challenges can benefit ECI services and future research efforts focused on improving ECI services whilst maintaining IPC standards.

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Infection prevention and control measures in audiology practice within public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa

Cited by 10 publications

References 24 publications

Community-based audiology services: An effective strategy for the prevention of hearing loss in rural communities

Community-based audiology services: An effective strategy for the prevention of hearing loss in rural communities

Preventive audiology in the context of deafblindness

Challenges to infection control in early communication intervention: A scoping review

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