Vidya Ramkumar1, K Selvakumar2, C S Vanaja3, James W Hall4, Roopa Nagarajan5, J Neethi5. 1. Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India. Electronic address: vidya.ramkumar@gmail.com. 2. Department of Neurosurgery, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India. 3. Department of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune, India. 4. Department of Audiology, Nova Southeastern University, Salus University, USA; Department of Communication Pathology, University of Pretoria, South Africa. 5. Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Tele-diagnostic audiological testing in a hearing screening program for infants and young children is a novel practice, and this study is the first to explore its application in a rural community. It is important to understand parental perceptions and confidence when introducing a new process such as tele-audiological diagnostic testing in rural areas. METHOD: A questionnaire with 17 rater-administered items was designed to elicit comments concerning the quality of tele-hearing testing and video-conferencing, access to tele-hearing testing, and parents' attitudes regarding tele-hearing testing in the village. The questionnaire was administered by an audiologist not involved in tele-diagnostic testing to avoid bias. RESULTS: Parents perceived tele-hearing testing as equal in quality to in-person testing. Technical factors such as good video-conferencing quality and logistical factors such as ease of access due to reasonable travel time to testing facility could have influenced these perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: While these results show tele-hearing testing is an acceptable alternative, occasional poor signal quality should be addressed prior to large-scale implementation.
INTRODUCTION: Tele-diagnostic audiological testing in a hearing screening program for infants and young children is a novel practice, and this study is the first to explore its application in a rural community. It is important to understand parental perceptions and confidence when introducing a new process such as tele-audiological diagnostic testing in rural areas. METHOD: A questionnaire with 17 rater-administered items was designed to elicit comments concerning the quality of tele-hearing testing and video-conferencing, access to tele-hearing testing, and parents' attitudes regarding tele-hearing testing in the village. The questionnaire was administered by an audiologist not involved in tele-diagnostic testing to avoid bias. RESULTS: Parents perceived tele-hearing testing as equal in quality to in-person testing. Technical factors such as good video-conferencing quality and logistical factors such as ease of access due to reasonable travel time to testing facility could have influenced these perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: While these results show tele-hearing testing is an acceptable alternative, occasional poor signal quality should be addressed prior to large-scale implementation.