IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i13p7780-d847233.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perceptions of Telehealth Services for Hearing Loss in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System

Author

Listed:
  • Aaqilah Bhamjee

    (Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa)

  • Talita le Roux

    (Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa)

  • De Wet Swanepoel

    (Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
    Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia
    Virtual Hearing Laboratory, Collaborative Initiative between University of Colorado and the University of Pretoria, Aurora, CO 10045, USA)

  • Marien Alet Graham

    (Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa)

  • Kurt Schlemmer

    (Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
    Department of ENT Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa)

  • Faheema Mahomed-Asmail

    (Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
    Virtual Hearing Laboratory, Collaborative Initiative between University of Colorado and the University of Pretoria, Aurora, CO 10045, USA)

Abstract

Telehealth promises increased access to hearing healthcare services, primarily in areas where hearing healthcare resources are limited, such as within the South African public healthcare system. Telehealth for hearing healthcare is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, where physical distancing has been essential. This study aimed to describe audiologists’ perceptions regarding telehealth services for hearing loss within South Africa’s public healthcare system. This study was divided into two phases. During Phase 1, 97 audiologists completed an electronic survey regarding their perceptions of telehealth for hearing loss within South African public sector hospitals. Synchronous virtual focus-group discussions were conducted during Phase 2. Results indicated that audiologists recognized telehealth services’ potential to improve hearing healthcare efficiency within the public sector, and most (84.1%) were willing to use it. However, telehealth’s actual uptake was low despite almost doubling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prominent perceived barriers to telehealth were primarily related to hospital resources, including the unavailability of equipment for the remote hearing/specialized assessments, internet-related barriers, and limited IT infrastructure. An increased understanding of telehealth in South Africa’s public healthcare system will assist in identifying and in improving potential barriers to telehealth, including hospital resources and infrastructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Aaqilah Bhamjee & Talita le Roux & De Wet Swanepoel & Marien Alet Graham & Kurt Schlemmer & Faheema Mahomed-Asmail, 2022. "Perceptions of Telehealth Services for Hearing Loss in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7780-:d:847233
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7780/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7780/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Byrne, 2022. "A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1391-1412, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Flourensia Sapty Rahayu & Lukito Edi Nugroho & Ridi Ferdiana & Djoko Budiyanto Setyohadi, 2022. "Motivation and Engagement of Final-Year Students When Using E-learning: A Qualitative Study of Gamification in Pandemic Situation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-22, July.
    2. Araz Zirar, 2023. "Can artificial intelligence’s limitations drive innovative work behaviour?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2005-2034, August.
    3. Chia‐Chi Lee & Shih‐Yun Kuo & Huang‐Hsiung Hsu & Tung‐Li Mo & En‐Yu Chang & Kuan‐Chun Huang, 2023. "How does the research community contribute to corporate climate‐related risk disclosures? The gap between ideals and reality," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 927-940, March.
    4. Aslam, Usman & Davis, Leon, 2024. "Analyzing consumer expectations and experiences of Augmented Reality (AR) apps in the fashion retail sector," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    5. Marwitz, Ulrike & Higgins, Daryl J. & Whelan, Thomas, 2024. "“Kids are in the middle of it” – Child protection practitioners reflect on indicators of coercive control and situational couple violence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    6. Paul Marshall & Steven Jones & Patricia Gooding & Heather Robinson & Fiona Lobban, 2022. "Caring for a Family Member with Psychosis or Bipolar Disorder Who Has Experienced Suicidal Behaviour: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of an Online Peer-Support Forum," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-14, November.
    7. António Quintas-Mendes & Ana Paiva, 2023. "Digital Presence and Online Identity among Digital Scholars: A Thematic Analysis," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, June.
    8. Shee Mun Yong, 2023. "4th Industry Revolution Digital Marketing Adoption Challenges in SMEs and its Effect on Customer Responsiveness," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 15(2), pages 152-172.
    9. Schmeising-Barnes, Ninian & Waller, Jo & Marlow, Laura A.V., 2024. "Attitudes to multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests for population-based screening: A qualitative study in Great Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 347(C).
    10. Maria Olga Tomprou, 2023. "Opportunities and Challenges for the Creation and Governance of Productive Landscapes in Urban Transformations: The Case of Klosterøya Urban Fruit Forest Park," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-23, February.
    11. Jennifer R. Pharr & Emylia Terry & André Wade & Amanda Haboush-Deloye & Erika Marquez & Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 on Sexual and Gender Minority Communities: Focus Group Discussions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Sharma, Kavita & Walters, Gretchen & Metzger, Marc J. & Ghazoul, Jaboury, 2023. "Glocal woodlands – The rescaling of forest governance in Scotland," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    13. Ibrahim Mutambik, 2023. "The Global Whitewashing of Smart Cities: Citizens’ Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-16, May.
    14. Rochelle Thompson & Briana N. M. Hagen & Andria Jones-Bitton, 2023. "Tractors, Talk, Mindset, Mantras, Detachment, and Distraction: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Coping Strategies Used by Farmers in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7780-:d:847233. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.