[Newborn Hearing Screening - Results of a Parental Survey in Saxony-Anhalt]
J Müller1, H Fechner2, A Köhn1
1Neugeborenen-Hörscreening, Trackingstelle Sachsen-Anhalt, Fehlbildungsmonitoring, Sachsen-Anhalt an der Medizinischen Fakultät der Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, Magdeburg.
Insights
Parents are highly satisfied with newborn hearing screening (NHS), with most supporting the program. However, some parents desire clearer information and express concerns regarding the professional competence of examining staff.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Quality Assurance
- Pediatric Audiology
- Public Health Screening
Background:
- Quality assurance is integral to modern healthcare, driven by patient-oriented management.
- Statutory implementation of newborn hearing screening (NHS) in 2009 necessitates robust quality assurance for early detection.
- This study addresses patient satisfaction with NHS in Saxony-Anhalt.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate patient satisfaction with newborn hearing screening (NHS).
- To assess parental expectations versus experiences with NHS.
- To identify areas for improvement in NHS delivery.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective interviews with 394 parents regarding their NHS experiences and expectations.
- Standardized questionnaire utilized for data collection.
- Involvement of 21 child care centers and 6 pediatric primary care centers in Saxony-Anhalt.
Main Results:
- Overwhelming parental support for NHS, with 97.7% in favor of the service.
- Majority of parents (69.3%) found provided information sufficient, though only 66.2% reviewed the official leaflet.
- A notable minority (17.7%) reported dissatisfaction with the professional competence of examining staff.
Conclusions:
- Parental attitudes towards newborn hearing screening are predominantly positive, fostering reassurance.
- While generally satisfied, parents highlight a need for improved information dissemination and staff training.
- Addressing specific criticisms can further enhance the quality and effectiveness of NHS programs.
Abstract:
Background: In recent years quality assurance has become an essential part of today's health-care system in the wake of the modern patient-oriented quality management. With the statutory introduction of newborn hearing screening (NHS) in 2009, a quality assurance of these early detection methods has become necessary. The aim of the study was to determine patient satisfaction in relation to the NHS in Saxony-Anhalt. Patients/Methods: During the period from November 2013 to April 2014, 394 parents were retrospectively interviewed about their experiences and expectations in relation to the NHS, using a standardised questionnaire. In total, 21 child care centres and 6 paediatric primary care centres from all over Saxony-Anhalt were involved. Results: It turns out that the majority of parents are satisfied with the NHS and 97.7% are in favour of the offer of an NHS. Of the surveyed parents, 69.3% felt the information as sufficient. However, only 66.2% of parents took a closer look at the leaflet issued by the G-BA. In addition, 17.7% of respondents are dissatisfied with the professional competence of the examining staff. Conclusion: The study shows that the general attitude among parents towards newborn hearing screening was very positive. They felt reassured by it although there are some aspects still open to criticism.
