Examining the Needs of Underserved Families with Children Experiencing Middle Ear Fluid and Seeking Care at a US/Mexico Border Clinic

Abstract

Access to healthcare services for children in Mexico and in Arizona communities that border Mexico can be limited. There are several humanitarian clinics that offer audiologic services in this area that were presumably developed from a need in the community. A common audiologic occurrence seen in pediatric patients is otitis media. When otitis media does not resolve or when it is recurrent, it can negatively affect a child’s speech, language, and overall development. This audiology doctoral project aims to examine the population of patients with conductive hearing loss due to middle ear disorders, such as otitis media, who receive care at a humanitarian clinic on the Arizona-Mexico border and provide recommendations about what additional resources could be used for these children and their families. Fifty-seven charts for children who received care at St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic, located in Nogales, Arizona, between February 2017 and March 2020 were reviewed to determine the number of children with conductive (or probable conductive) hearing loss. Additionally, patients who were at an increased risk for developmental delays due to conductive hearing loss were categorized into an action group, or those who require timely intervention for hearing loss to avoid further delays. Overall, there were sixteen children who were noted to have a conductive component to their hearing loss, fourteen for whom the conductive loss was likely due to a treatable middle ear condition. Most of these children fell within the action group. The information gathered from this study can lead to a number of recommendations to address additional needs for children seen at St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic who have middle ear dysfunction and fall within the action group.