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Pediatric Amplification: A Proposed Protocol for In-Person Hearing Aid Fittings and Virtual Follow-Ups
Kirsten A Petrarca1, Megan Worthington1
1Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, IL.
Insights
Rush University
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Healthcare
- Telehealth
Background:
- Children with hearing loss face significant financial and logistical barriers to audiological care.
- Rush University's Student Community Outreach Program of Excellence (SCOPE) is developing a pediatric hearing loss outreach program.
- The program aims to overcome access barriers through in-person and virtual services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a proposed protocol for a pediatric hearing loss outreach program at SCOPE.
- To detail a bimodal model of service delivery for pediatric amplification services.
- To provide a general description of the proposed protocol for future implementation.
Main Methods:
- The protocol was developed as a guideline for future service delivery.
- Information was derived from previously published protocols and relevant clinical research.
- The protocol outlines key components for program implementation.
Main Results:
- The final protocol includes six sections.
- Sections cover program rationale, target population, equipment, fitting procedures, virtual follow-ups, outcome measures, and appointment schedules.
- The protocol provides a structured framework for the outreach program.
Conclusions:
- Financial and logistical barriers restrict national access to pediatric audiological care.
- Telehealth models effectively provide high-quality care while addressing access barriers.
- A bimodal service delivery model will be implemented in Chicago to improve access for pediatric patients with hearing loss.
Background:
Children with hearing loss and their families face many financial and logistical barriers to accessing audiological care. At Rush University's Student Community Outreach Program of Excellence (SCOPE), a pediatric hearing loss outreach program is under development to address and overcome those barriers through in-person hearing aid fittings and virtual follow-up appointments.
Objectives:
The goal of this clinical focus article was to develop a proposed protocol for SCOPE's pediatric hearing loss outreach program that would detail the use of a bimodal model of service delivery for pediatric amplification services. This clinical focus article provides a general description of the proposed protocol.
Method:
The proposed protocol was developed as a guideline for future service delivery within SCOPE's pediatric hearing loss outreach program. Categories and details within the protocol were derived from previously published protocols and clinically relevant research.
Results:
The final protocol is composed of six sections, which detail the rationale and target population, necessary equipment, procedures for in-person hearing aid fittings, procedures for virtual follow-ups, outcome measures, and schedule of appointments.
Discussion:
On the national level, access to audiological care for pediatric patients and their families is restricted by both financial and logistical barriers. A telehealth model of service delivery has been shown to be effective in providing high-quality patient care while addressing these barriers. A clinical program using a bimodal model of service delivery will be implemented to address these barriers in Chicago, Illinois. Future investigation is required to monitor the efficacy of the program and develop program-specific materials.
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