Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39099283›Full record

ArticleThe South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings2024

Evaluating the feasibility of a tele-diagnostic auditory brainstem response service in a rural context.

Divhanani Sithi, Samantha M Govender, Thembelihle S Ntuli

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Divhanani SithiDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria. divhananisithi@gmail.com.
Samantha M Govender
Thembelihle S Ntuli

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a noticeable gap in access to audiology services in South Africa, and the gap is intensified in rural areas. Often, primary healthcare (PHC) facilities have an unequal ratio of audiologists to patients in need. Telehealth can expand the range of hearing healthcare services.

objectivesThis study aimed to determine whether, for infants, tele-diagnostic Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) assessment results conducted within a mobile clinic van are comparable to face-to-face diagnostic ABR results in rural Winterveldt, Pretoria North, South Africa.

methodThe study utilised a quantitative, prospective cross-sectional comparative within-subject design. Each participant received both face-to-face and mobile tele-diagnostic ABR tests, which were then compared to evaluate the feasibility of mobile tele-diagnostic ABR testing. The Student's t-test was used to determine whether there was a difference between face-to-face and tele-diagnostic tests, and Bland -Altman plots were used to assess the level of agreement between the ABR testing results.

resultsThere was a strong correlation (p  0.001) between face-to-face and mobile tele-diagnostic ABR test results for both neurological and audiological ABR tests. The study found that there was no statistical significance between face-to-face and tele-diagnostic ABR measures; additionally, the results were within clinically acceptable and normative measures.

conclusionTele-diagnostic ABR offered within a mobile clinic van is feasible as it produces similar and clinically acceptable results when compared to the traditional assessment method.Contribution: This feasibility study is a positive indicator that tele-diagnostic ABR testing through a mobile clinic van may be considered to accelerate the delivery of hearing healthcare services to the infant population in rural communities.

Indexed as

Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain StemFeasibility StudiesRural PopulationTelemedicineAudiologyCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHearing LossHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleMobile Health UnitsProspective StudiesSouth Africaaudiological careface-to-face ABRinfant remote ABRinfant rural ABRmobile clinic vantele-audiologỵtele-diagnostic ABR

Identifiers

PMID39099283
PMCPMC11304190

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.