Mixed-methods evaluation of screening for hearing loss using the hearScreen™ mobile health application in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children presenting to an urban primary healthcare service

Abstract

Recommendations for hearing screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 4 years have a limited evidence base. Using the hearScreen™ (HearX, Camden, DE, USA) mobile health application as part of a mixed-methods study, the aim of this study was to assess the proportion of 4-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with hearing difficulties, as well as the feasibility and acceptability of the test itself. Of the 145 4-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were regular patients of the service during the recruitment period, 50 were recruited to the present study. Of these 50 children, 42 (84%) passed the hearing screening test, 4 (8%) did not and 4 (8%) were unable to complete the test. Nine caregivers were interviewed. Themes included the priority given to children's health by caregivers, positivity and trust in the test, preference for having the test conducted in primary care and the importance of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person providing the screening test. These findings lend support to hearing screening for school-age children in primary care provided by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare worker using the hearScreen™ test.