Follow-up in newborn hearing screening – a systematic review

Introduction The quality and efficiency of newborn hearing screening programs (NHS) rely heavily on appropriate follow-up. The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommends a follow-up rate of more than 95% of infants who fail the initial hearing screening. However, a 70% benchmark is considered to be more feasible. This high loss to follow-up (LTF) rate acts as a threat to the overall success of NHS programs. The objective of the study was to identify and examine the reported rates of LTF, attributed reasons for LTF and strategies undertaken to reduce LTF. Methods Using a systematic search, articles published between 2005 to December 2015 were identified from PubMed/Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Scopus, Ovid, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library. To be included in the review, the study should be exploring the loss to follow-up or drop-out rate in newborn hearing screening programs and be published in an indexed peer-reviewed journal in the English language. The main outcome measures were overall rate of LTF, factors leading to LTF and measures adopted to overcome LTF. Results 53 articles were short-listed for data extraction. Out of these, 27 were single-centre studies, 19 were multi-centre, 3 compared multiple databases, and 4 used survey-based methods. Overall LTF rates of 20% in single-centre and 21% in multiple-centre studies were observed. Educational disparity and lack of adequate knowledge among parents were associated with LTF. The most commonly used strategy to overcome LTF suggested by studies was the use of an adequate data management system. Conclusion This review is a novel attempt to explore the LTF among NHS studies, reasons for LTF and strategies to reduce LTF. This review can act as a basis for planning and execution of effective NHS programs

Visual methods in research with migrant and refugee children and young people

This chapter examines how visual methods have been used in understanding and interpreting children’s worlds. Focusing on social sciences engagement with diverse visual methods (like drawing, maps, photographs, and videos), the chapter contributes to the discussion about their value and limitations. The chapter broadly reviews the body of knowledge on the use of children’s images in research. It provides some references to the research in health social sciences, however, focuses particularly on migrants and refugees. Although visual images play a meaningful role in the lives of young people, social sciences still privileges approaches based on words and numbers. Children’s visual methods, however, are gaining increasing interest as many social scientists search for methods that align with the current conceptualization of children as social agents and cultural producers. It has been argued that visual methods can secure participant engagement and reflexivity among a group who may not be comfortable with a traditional survey, interview, or focus group methods. Exploring specific examples of the studies with migrant and refugee children and young people, the chapter demonstrates how visual methods can be evaluated as a research strategy