A REVIEW OF HEARING AID TELECONSULTATION IN BRAZIL
Journal Title: Journal of Hearing Science - Year 2017, Vol 7, Issue 2
Abstract
Since 1993, Brazil’s public Unified Health System (SUS) has been enhancing the provision of hearing healthcare services, ranging from prevention to intervention. The provision of quality services is challenged by the country’s large size, socio-economic contrasts, poorly distributed infrastructure, and the concentration of qualified audiology professionals in metropolitan areas. It is estimated that 14 million Brazilians have a disabling hearing impairment – a number already beyond service capacity. Increased life expectancy enlarges the prevalence of hearing impairment, further saturating the system. Ongoing societal changes call for alternative approaches to healthcare – one of them being telehealth. This paper describes the milestones in the development of hearing healthcare public policies in Brazil and discusses the main concepts behind the provision of services via telehealth and the implementation of the Brazilian Telehealth Networks Program. Furthermore, the results and implications of research on remote hearing aid fitting, conducted at Bauru Dental School, are presented. This review indicates that issues such as shortage of audiologists, lack of the use of real ear measures, and patient absenteeism could be mitigated by incorporating remote hearing aid fitting routinely in public hearing healthcare clinics. But in order to implement this approach, more constructive interactions among different stakeholders is required. Overall, telehealth has the potential to help healthcare providers meet the demands of a technologically increasing society.
Authors and Affiliations
Deborah Viviane Ferrari, Esteban Alejandro Lopez
Keywords
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- EP ID EP379232
- DOI 10.17430/902574
- Views 99
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