Perception of 'mothers of beneficiaries' regarding a rural community based hearing screening service

A rural community-based hearing screening project was established in villages in a rural district of Tamil Nadu in South India. The goal of this project was to address early detection of hearing loss among infants and young children. Village health workers (VHW) were trained to conduct hearing screenings using an Oto Acoustic Emissions (OAE) equipment. They were also trained to provide information about ear and hearing health, and to facilitate follow up visits for diagnostic testing when required.

The purpose of this study was to review the project by examining the caregiver perception from the mothers of children who have undergone hearing screening regarding the service provided.

Focus group discussions (FGDs), were conducted in nine villages of the district to obtain information and perceptions from mothers. In all, 70 mothers with children less than 2 years of age, and 13 mothers with children greater than 2 years of age, participated in the FGDs.

Responses obtained from mothers indicated that door to door health services are rare and are primarily related to sensitizing the community regarding health camps and preventive measures for widespread diseases (like dengue fever). Door to door screening for hearing among children is unique in these villages. Mothers were familiar with the NGO which coordinated the hearing screening program. Local pre-school (Balwadi) teachers were informed about the hearing screening program and its significance. From the responses of the participants it was clear that the sensitization carried out through them in all villages was successful. It was noteworthy that mothers mentioned the result of screening as "pass/refer" as instead of "pass/fail". This outcome suggests that health workers have used appropriate terminology to convey screening results. Mothers reported test conditions to be present and therefore confirmed that valid testing was conducted by VHWs.

Mothers in the community accepted hearing screening services delivered by health workers. The health workers were effective in delivering the services. Pre-school teachers seemed to have played a pivotal role in communicating about the hearing screening program to the mothers. Ultimately, collaborating with local NGO facilitated acceptance and compliance due to the NGOs strong presence in the community.