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The Difficulties Encountered by Pediatric Cochlear Implant Patients and Their Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Laila M Telmesani1, Nithreen M Said2, Mahmoud M Mahrous3,4
1Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted pediatric cochlear implant (CI) patients, causing missed programming and rehabilitation sessions. Telemedicine solutions were found to be effective in managing these challenges.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread curfews, disrupting essential healthcare services.
- Cochlear implant (CI) patients require specialized, continuous care and rehabilitation, making them vulnerable to pandemic-related disruptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the collateral effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric cochlear implant (CI) patients.
- To identify challenges faced by CI patients and their families during the pandemic.
- To explore management strategies and the role of telemedicine.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study utilizing an Arabic questionnaire.
- The questionnaire assessed issues including device maintenance, spare parts, programming delays, and missed rehabilitation.
- 174 parents of pediatric CI patients responded.
Main Results:
- The primary challenge reported was the disruption of device programming and rehabilitation sessions.
- Many children experienced difficulties with cochlear implant device maintenance and obtaining spare parts.
- Virtual clinics and remote programming sessions proved beneficial.
Conclusions:
- The pandemic highlighted the critical need for adaptable healthcare infrastructure for CI patients.
- Telemedicine offers a cost-effective, convenient, and resilient solution for ongoing CI care and rehabilitation.
- Developing telemedicine capabilities can better prepare healthcare systems for future crises.
Introduction:
The daily escalation in incidence and mortality caused by Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has mandated forced curfew in our country (same as many other countries) to limit the spread of infection. This is predicted to have a more negative impact on cochlear implant (CI) patients since this group of patients needs a unique type of psychological, medical, and technical care in addition to a daily rehabilitation program.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study based on Arabic questionnaire that looked into the collateral consequences of COVID-19 on the pediatric CI patients. The questionnaire was designed to highlight different problems such as exposure to head trauma or ear infection, difficulties in device maintenance and getting spare parts, impacts of the delay of programing or switch on appointments, and the impacts of missing rehabilitation sessions. Different ways of management of these problems are presented and discussed.
Results:
A total of 174 parents responded to the questionnaire. The main problem met by the patients was missing their device programing and rehabilitation sessions. Many children had device maintenance and spare parts problems. Virtual clinics were helpful in solving different problems. Additionally, children who needed device programing were scheduled for remote programing sessions.
Conclusion:
Although the inevitable consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are catastrophic, they are forcing the medical field to explore new opportunities by sitting up an infrastructure for future usage of telemedicine. Telemedicine is cost-effective and more convenient and enables health-care providers to be immune to future circumstances.
