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Review
. 2024 Oct 8;16(10):e71092.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.71092. eCollection 2024 Oct.

Addressing Postpartum Care Challenges and Information Accessibility for Mothers With Hearing Disability: A Systematic Review

Chrysoula Rozalia Athanasiadou  1 , Yiannis Pollalis  2 , Athanasios Vozikis  2 , Aikaterini Lykeridou  1 , Vasiliki E Georgakopoulou  3 , Panagiota Dourou  1 , Aikaterini Sousamli  1 , Antigoni Sarantaki  1
Affiliations
Review

Addressing Postpartum Care Challenges and Information Accessibility for Mothers With Hearing Disability: A Systematic Review

Chrysoula Rozalia Athanasiadou et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Access to healthcare significantly impacts the health outcomes of individuals with hearing disability, underscoring the necessity for enhanced accessibility to health services. Despite this situation, there is a paucity of data regarding the provision of postpartum care for women with hearing disability. Understanding the unique experiences and needs of women with hearing disability is crucial for improving not only the health system but also the overall health of their families and, by extension, the broader community. In this systematic review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 methodology was employed. Comprehensive searches were conducted across several databases, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, BioMed Central, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. A total of 331 article titles and abstracts were screened based on Population/Intervention/Control/Outcome/Study/Time (PICOST) criteria, resulting in 12 articles being included in the final review. Among these, nine were qualitative studies and three were quantitative, which were reviewed using the Caldwell framework. The findings from this systematic review indicate that mothers with hearing disability often face significant inadequacies and misunderstandings concerning the information and care they receive. These inadequacies lead to a tendency to avoid or delay seeking care, or to rely heavily on self-care practices. Additionally, it was found that healthcare professionals generally lack awareness and understanding of the specific needs of mothers with hearing disability. Future research should prioritize examining both the experiences of healthcare providers and mothers with hearing disability to develop interventions that can adequately address the needs of families with mothers with hearing disability. By doing so, the healthcare system can be better equipped to provide appropriate and effective care, ultimately improving health outcomes for these families.

Keywords: deaf mothers; healthcare accessibility; healthcare professionals; hearing loss; postpartum care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Selection process for the included studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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