Samenvatting
Aims
To explore the parental decision-making process regarding cochlear implantation (CI) and traditional hearing aids for their congenitally deaf child. This exploration is aimed at uncovering factors which contribute to the decision from a parental perspective.
Methods/Actions
A qualitative study design was used to explore the parental perspective. Data was collected retrospectively through semi-structured interviews with parents of children with severe to profound hearing loss (HL) registered in the Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Program in Flanders (Belgium), and born in 1999-2001 (population N=69). Intentional sampling was used to obtain maximum diversity in the sample based on social criteria (sample n=13), and a life grid method was applied to minimize recall bias. This was followed by thematic content analysis on full transcripts, and results were interpreted into categories of influential factors.
Results
While all parents share the desire to achieve oral language development, health professionals' advice appears as the starting point of the decision-making process. (1) In one group professional advice was followed mainly to the importance of the preference for oral language development and the potential of CI/traditional hearing aids; (2) For a second group, alternative factors were paramount against the professional advice for CI, e.g. medical risks and consequences, ethical aspects and earlier experiences with deafness. This resulted in the use of traditional hearing aids. (3) In a third group parents followed professional advice against CI and in favour of traditional hearing aids. Overall, cost-related aspects were not important.
Conclusion
Care professionals should be aware of the impact of their advice and other factors in parental decision-making. Although all parents in our sample pursued oral language development, the importance of other factors such as medical risks, social support and ethical aspects emphasizes the need for the development of a framework for informed choice in professional practice. Audiological management should be extended to support of the early care trajectory, which could improve parents' competence for decision-making and their psychosocial well-being.
The fact itself that all parents in our study pursued oral language development and that none of them decided to rely in part or exclusively on sign language again confirms the necessity of a framework for informed choice. This finding might be a consequence of the fact that our sample did not contain any deaf parents. Hence, we advocate for a similar study among deaf parents.
To explore the parental decision-making process regarding cochlear implantation (CI) and traditional hearing aids for their congenitally deaf child. This exploration is aimed at uncovering factors which contribute to the decision from a parental perspective.
Methods/Actions
A qualitative study design was used to explore the parental perspective. Data was collected retrospectively through semi-structured interviews with parents of children with severe to profound hearing loss (HL) registered in the Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Program in Flanders (Belgium), and born in 1999-2001 (population N=69). Intentional sampling was used to obtain maximum diversity in the sample based on social criteria (sample n=13), and a life grid method was applied to minimize recall bias. This was followed by thematic content analysis on full transcripts, and results were interpreted into categories of influential factors.
Results
While all parents share the desire to achieve oral language development, health professionals' advice appears as the starting point of the decision-making process. (1) In one group professional advice was followed mainly to the importance of the preference for oral language development and the potential of CI/traditional hearing aids; (2) For a second group, alternative factors were paramount against the professional advice for CI, e.g. medical risks and consequences, ethical aspects and earlier experiences with deafness. This resulted in the use of traditional hearing aids. (3) In a third group parents followed professional advice against CI and in favour of traditional hearing aids. Overall, cost-related aspects were not important.
Conclusion
Care professionals should be aware of the impact of their advice and other factors in parental decision-making. Although all parents in our sample pursued oral language development, the importance of other factors such as medical risks, social support and ethical aspects emphasizes the need for the development of a framework for informed choice in professional practice. Audiological management should be extended to support of the early care trajectory, which could improve parents' competence for decision-making and their psychosocial well-being.
The fact itself that all parents in our study pursued oral language development and that none of them decided to rely in part or exclusively on sign language again confirms the necessity of a framework for informed choice. This finding might be a consequence of the fact that our sample did not contain any deaf parents. Hence, we advocate for a similar study among deaf parents.
| Originele taal-2 | English |
|---|---|
| Titel | Paper presented at the 13th Biennial congress of the European Society for Health and Medical Sociology |
| Status | Published - 26 aug 2010 |
| Evenement | 13th Biennial Congress of the European Society for Health and Medical Sociology - Ghent, Belgium Duur: 26 aug 2010 → 28 aug 2010 |
Conference
| Conference | 13th Biennial Congress of the European Society for Health and Medical Sociology |
|---|---|
| Verkorte titel | ESHMS 2010 |
| Land/Regio | Belgium |
| Stad | Ghent |
| Periode | 26/08/10 → 28/08/10 |
Keywords
- aangeboren gehoorverlies
- cochleaire implantatie
- ouderlijke ervaringen
- beslissingsprocessen