Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.
S Afr J Commun Disord. 2022 Aug 17;69(2):e1-e11. doi: 10.4102/sajcd.v69i2.907.
The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has pushed many audiologists to incorporate remote service delivery methods to adhere to mandatory health and safety protocols. The use of tele-audiology for audiological rehabilitation may provide a sustainable, cost-effective modality to suit the existing need, particularly in low-resourced countries.
This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of implementing a hybrid tele-rehabilitation programme in a South African public health context. An online auditory training (AT) programme was used to determine (1) compliance, (2) clinical benefit, (3) participant experience and (4) costs.
A convergent mixed methods design with a feasibility approach was utilised. Data collection was done through questionnaires, in-booth assessments, online AT, and face-to-face interviewing. Participants undertook online AT over 4 weeks. For pre- and post-online AT, the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), QuickSIN, entrance and exit questionnaires, interviews and a system usability scale were administered.
Key findings of this study included (1) a high compliance rate (84.82%) with minimal clinician contact time at 3 h 25 min over 5-6-weeks; (2) improvement in perceived hearing aid (HA) benefit, and improvement in listening skills; (3) reported positive experiences; and (4) minimal programme costs at an average of R1350.00 per participant.
The results showed positive indicators that the use of hybrid tele-rehabilitative strategies may provide a viable alternative to the traditional face-to-face modality. The hybrid approach showed clinical benefits, cost-effectiveness, minimal contact time as well as COVID-19 compliance. Further large-scale research is still needed.
全球 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行促使许多听力学家采用远程服务交付方法来遵守强制性的健康和安全协议。远程听力学在听力学康复中的应用可能提供一种可持续且具有成本效益的模式，以满足现有需求，尤其是在资源匮乏的国家。
本研究旨在调查在南非公共卫生背景下实施混合远程康复计划的可行性。使用在线听觉训练（AT）计划来确定（1）依从性，（2）临床获益，（3）参与者体验和（4）成本。
采用可行性方法的融合混合方法设计。通过问卷调查、展位评估、在线 AT 和面对面访谈进行数据收集。参与者在 4 周内进行在线 AT。在在线 AT 前后，进行了简短的听力辅助获益评估（APHAB）、快速简易听力筛查（QuickSIN）、入门和出口问卷、访谈和系统可用性量表的评估。
本研究的主要发现包括（1）在 5-6 周内，患者接触时间仅为 3 小时 25 分钟，具有较高的依从性（84.82%）；（2）患者感知到听力辅助设备（HA）的获益有所改善，并且听力技能有所提高；（3）报告的体验积极；以及（4）平均每位参与者的计划成本仅为 1350.00 兰特。
结果显示出使用混合远程康复策略可能是传统面对面模式的可行替代方案的积极指标。混合方法显示出临床获益、成本效益、接触时间短以及符合 COVID-19 协议。仍需要进一步进行大规模研究。
