Delays in Infant Hearing Detection and Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Commentary

Early detection and intervention for congenital hearing loss are critical for speech and language development. Newborns should receive hearing screening, diagnosis, and intervention by 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in each step of this process. Increased out-of-hospital births and shortages of essential health care services likely reduced the proportion of newborns completing screening. Additional factors have contributed to delayed diagnosis. We estimate that up to 50% of infants born with hearing loss in Maryland in 2021 may be delayed in diagnosis. Hearing loss interventions have been affected due to delayed initiation, reduced availability, and lack of in-person services. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of congenital hearing loss are likely to have significant effects on individual patients and public health, the full magnitude of which will not be known for years. Opportunities exist for providers to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on pediatric hearing health care.

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The Impact of War on Population Health

MacEwan University Student eJournal ◽

10.31542/j.muse.173 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Turkan Ahmet

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Status ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Negative Effects ◽

The Past ◽

Care Services ◽

Physical Environments ◽

The Social ◽

Personal Experiences ◽

The Impact

The past few decades of ongoing war in Iraq has had a dramatic impact on the health of Iraq’s population. Wars are known to have negative effects on the social and physical environments of individuals, as well as limit their access to the available health care services. This paper explores the personal experiences of my family members, who were exposed to war, as well as includes information that has been reviewed form many academic sources. The data aided in providing recommendations and developing strategies, on both local and international levels, to improve the health status of the populations exposed to war.

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Nothing but Trouble: Studies on the Effects of Reforms in Elderly Care in Sweden and Poland

NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy ◽

10.2478/nispa-2013-0002 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 31-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Iwona Sobis

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Practical Implication ◽

Elderly Care ◽

The Elderly ◽

Negative Effects ◽

The Public ◽

Care Services ◽

Care For The Elderly ◽

The Future

Abstract Reforms of the public sector, conducted in the spirit of NPM since the 1990s, are frequently studied by Western and Eastern scholars. The research shows national variations in how the NPM idea was translated and adapted into a country’s context and regulations. Care for the elderly is an interesting example of reforms conducted in the spirit of NPM, because it relates to welfare and health care and to the competences of provincial and local authorities in most European countries. This paper addresses the following questions: What do we know about the reforms conducted in the spirit of NPM and its practical implication within the field of care for the elderly during 1990 - 2010? What kind of knowledge about care for the elderly is still missing and should be developed in the future ? Th is paper conducts comparative research on what is known about the effects of the Swedish and the Polish reforms regarding care for the elderly. It argues that most literature points to negative effects, but also to the fact that there are still gaps in our knowledge about the effects of reforms concerning elderly care, especially regarding its organization. Hence, despite all the research done, we do not know what kind of social and health-care services for seniors represent the best practices for the future.

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External genital abnormalities in male schoolchildren: an epidemiological study

Medicinski pregled ◽

10.2298/mpns0406275z ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 57 (5-6) ◽

pp. 275-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dragana Zivkovic ◽

Jan Varga ◽

Slobodan Grebeldinger ◽

Dusanka Dobanovacki ◽

Vladimir Borisev

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Epidemiological Study ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Undescended Testis ◽

Delayed Diagnosis ◽

Further Education ◽

Care Services ◽

Primary Health ◽

Future Fertility

Introduction External genital abnormalities represent the most common congenital anomalies. Proper, not delayed diagnosis and treatment of certain abnomalities (undescended testis, hypospadia, varicocele) is of great importance for future fertility potential of children. Material and methods An epidemiological study, that consisted of an urological check-up, was performed among school-aged boys in two elementary schools. Prevalence of external genital, and inguinal region was examined. Results A total of 1229 elementary school boys were examined. The incidence of external genital abnomalities was 27.8%. Certain anomalies were already surgically treated in 7.8% of boys. Phimosis was found in 66 patients (5,5%), which represents 26.6% of all abnomalities. Discussion In this study the incidence of undescended testis was 2.0%. Although it is similar to literature data, the fact that undescended testis was found in 25 boys older than 7 years (two of them 15 years old!) suggests that the primary health care is not satisfactory. The incidence of inguinal hernia and hydrocele varies according to different authors from 0.8-4.4% to 13.44%. In this study the incidence was 2.4%. Varicocele represents a developmental anomaly and the incidence is increasing with age. It is rare in boys up to 10 years of age, but the incidence of varicocele in boys aged 15 years (15.8%) reaches the level of incidence in adults (19.82%). The incidence of phimosis in this study was 5.5%. Conclusion High incidence of external genital abnormalities in school aged boys suggests a need for further education of physicians in primary health care services as well as of parents.

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Audiology India (Non-Governmental Organization): Background, Mission, and Accomplishments

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/persp1.sig17.12 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (17) ◽

pp. 12-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vinaya Manchaiah ◽

Vijayalakshmi Easwar ◽

Sriram Boothalingam ◽

Spoorthi Thammaiah

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Health Concern ◽

Current Status ◽

Middle Income ◽

Care Services ◽

The Government

Hearing loss is a global health concern, particularly in the low- and middle-income countries. Some of the reasons for this include, higher prevalence of hearing loss in these countries, lack of adequate awareness on hearing loss and its consequences, limited access to hearing care services to in suburban/rural areas, and high cost of such services. To make matters worse, health care services provided by the government in developing countries such as India are limited, and services provided by for-profit institutions are expensive. Therefore, there is a need for other stakeholders (e.g., non-governmental organizations) to bridge this service gap. In this paper, we introduce Audiology India (AI) to readers, an organization that is striving to improve ear and hearing health care services in India. We begin this paper by providing an overview of the current status of hearing care services in India. Next, we describe the background of AI, its mission, and accomplishments. Briefly, the goals of AI are: (a) to provide community-based hearing care services to individuals with no access to mainstream ear-care; (b) to conduct campaigns to raise public awareness about hearing loss and avenues for its prevention; (c) to carry out need-based research to continuously fine-tune our services and advance audiology in India; and (d) to offer consultancy services related to ear and hearing care.

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Stigma Experienced by Children and Adolescents With Obesity

10.1542/9781610022781-stigma ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 4-14

Author(s):

Stephen J. Pont ◽

Rebecca Puhl ◽

Stephen R. Cook ◽

Wendelin Slusser

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Health Care Services ◽

School Setting ◽

Clinic Visit ◽

Weight Stigma ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Obesity Epidemic ◽

Effective Strategies ◽

Care Services

The stigmatization of people with obesity is widespread and causes harm. Weight stigma is often propagated and tolerated in society because of beliefs that stigma and shame will motivate people to lose weight. However, rather than motivating positive change, this stigma contributes to behaviors such as binge eating, social isolation, avoidance of health care services, decreased physical activity, and increased weight gain, which worsen obesity and create additional barriers to healthy behavior change. Furthermore, experiences of weight stigma also dramatically impair quality of life, especially for youth. Health care professionals continue to seek effective strategies and resources to address the obesity epidemic; however, they also frequently exhibit weight bias and stigmatizing behaviors. This policy statement seeks to raise awareness regarding the prevalence and negative effects of weight stigma on pediatric patients and their families and provides 6 clinical practice and 4 advocacy recommendations regarding the role of pediatricians in addressing weight stigma. In summary, these recommendations include improving the clinical setting by modeling best practices for nonbiased behaviors and language; using empathetic and empowering counseling techniques, such as motivational interviewing, and addressing weight stigma and bullying in the clinic visit; advocating for inclusion of training and education about weight stigma in medical schools, residency programs, and continuing medical education programs; and empowering families to be advocates to address weight stigma in the home environment and school setting.

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Coping With Tinnitus During the COVID-19 Pandemic

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2021_aja-20-00188 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Eldré W. Beukes ◽

Joy Onozuka ◽

Torryn P. Brazell ◽

Vinaya Manchaiah

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Free Text ◽

Care Providers ◽

Care Services ◽

Tinnitus Distress

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal operations of health care services, broad sectors of the economy, and the ability to socialize freely. For those with tinnitus, such changes can be factors in exacerbating tinnitus. The purpose of this study was to determine tinnitus help-seeking behavior, which resources individuals utilized to cope during the pandemic, and what additional support is desired. Method An exploratory cross-sectional study design including 1,522 adults with tinnitus living in North America (Canada and the United States) was used. Data were collected through an online survey distributed by the American Tinnitus Association via e-mail. Free text from open-ended questions was analyzed using the automated content analysis. The responses to the structured questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics. Results Significantly less tinnitus support was sought during the pandemic, and very few respondents utilized tinnitus support networks during the pandemic at the time the survey was conducted. Nonetheless, seeking support during the pandemic was significantly associated with significantly less tinnitus distress. The most frequently utilized resources for coping during the pandemic were contacting family and friends, spending time outdoors or in nature, relaxation, and exercise. Such tools for coping were associated with significantly less tinnitus distress. The support requested and advice provided by participants to health care services had overlap. The main support needs related to managing tinnitus included addressing hearing loss, providing peer support, finding cures, and accessing trained and understanding health care providers to help. The advice for professionals related to tinnitus management included the need for cures, personalized support, addressing hearing loss, targeting the tinnitus percept, and providing more information about the condition. Conclusions These findings provide suggestions on how to better support those with tinnitus at a time when health care is undergoing rapid changes. Findings can be used by stakeholders, clinical practitioners, and tinnitus support services to devise ways to work more effectively together to improve access to patient-driven, suitable, accessible, and evidence-based support. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14558514

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Health care networks: the role of the family health team in child hearing loss

Revista CEFAC ◽

10.1590/1982-021620171944517 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 484-492

Author(s):

Jullyane Florencio Pachêco da Silva ◽

Cleide Fernandes Teixeira ◽

Maria Luiza Lopes Timóteo de Lima ◽

Cynthia Maria Barboza do Nascimento ◽

Fabiana de Oliveira Silva Sousa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Network Performance ◽

Case Study Research ◽

Family Health ◽

Health Staff ◽

Health Care Networks ◽

Care Services ◽

Comprehensive Health

ABSTRACT Purpose: to understand the network performance of family health staff on child hearing loss. Methods: a qualitative case-study research. Data collection consisted in three focus groups of family health staff from district IV in the city of Recife. Data were analyzed by meaning condensation. Results: most professionals perform their functions individually, which might weaken the comprehensive health care. Additionally, the lack of interaction with other complexity levels to meet the various actions and the absence of counter-reference required by the staff prevents the child's ongoing care. Conclusion: the teams’ organization and their relationships with other health care services are surrounded by weaknesses that make assistance ineffective regarding hearing health.

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