Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDIOLOGY
Volume 57, Issue -, Pages S3-S14Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2017.1301683
Keywords
Paediatric; psycho-social/emotional; cochlear implant; hearing aids
Funding
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders [R01DC008080]
- Commonwealth of Australia through the Office of Hearing Services
- HEARing CRC
- Cooperative Research Centres Program of the Australian Government
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Objective: This study aimed to explore the perspectives of caregivers regarding the information and support they received following diagnosis of their child's hearing loss. Design: A mixed methods explanatory sequential design was conducted. Study sample: A total of 445 caregivers of children completed a written survey, and five parents participated in qualitative in-depth interviews. Results: The most common sources of information for caregivers were discussion with an audiologist, written information, and discussion with a medical professional. Approximately 85% of caregivers reported they were satisfied with the personal/emotional support and information received from service providers. Additional comments from 91 caregivers indicated that 11% experienced a breakdown in information transfer with health professionals. Interviews conducted with five parents from three families revealed two themes which described the diagnostic period as a difficult and emotional experience for parents: (1) support and information provided during diagnosis: what happens first? and (2) accessing early intervention services following a diagnosis of hearing loss: navigating the maze. Conclusions: The findings of this study give insight into the perspectives of caregivers who have a child diagnosed with hearing loss. The importance of providing timely information and personal/emotional support to caregivers cannot be underestimated.
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