Luqman Lawal MD, MBA, MPH

The community-based Wide Frequency Audibility (WFA®) fitting method was created by the Starkey Hearing Foundation (SHF) to provide meaningful benefits for people with hearing loss across the globe. The method, which continues to evolve to meet the ever-growing need for hearing care, is simple, sustainable, and scalable. This article describes the WFA and the SHF’s community-based hearing healthcare model.

Abstract

Purpose: We sought to assess the outcome of training parents and teachers on verbal communication with
children that have hearing impairment in selected schools in Kenya.

Methods: Four schools with 100 students; aged 5- 18 years were selected for the pilot. Teachers and parents were trained on the use of verbal communication with children with hearing impairment. We utilized a pre-post design and used validated questionnaires for data collection.

Results: The… Show more

Abstract

Purpose: We sought to assess the outcome of training parents and teachers on verbal communication with
children that have hearing impairment in selected schools in Kenya.

Methods: Four schools with 100 students; aged 5- 18 years were selected for the pilot. Teachers and parents were trained on the use of verbal communication with children with hearing impairment. We utilized a pre-post design and used validated questionnaires for data collection.

Results: The proportion of parents that responded that their children could respond to environmental sounds significantly increased from 15.6% (95% CI 6.7, 24.5), to 87.5% (95% CI 79.4, 95.6) (p<0.05). A significant increase in the proportion of those that responded their children could vocalize was observed: 17.2% (CI 7.9, 26.4), to 87.5% (CI 79.4, 95.6) (P<0.05). Furthermore, 90.6% (95% CI 83.5, 97.8) (P<0.05) of parents perceived their children could talk more post-intervention. Approximately 50% of the teachers also observed much increase in the vocalization of the students.

Conclusions: Result suggests a perception of increased environmental sounds awareness, vocalization and increased/improved speech due to the intervention. However, this result cannot demonstrate the long-term impact of the intervention on the quality of lives of the participants. Show less

Background:
There is an increasing concern about the escalating healthcare costs amidst poor health outcomes in the U.S. Recently, there have been several empirical studies assessing the effectiveness of utilizing CHWs’ intervention to reduce healthcare costs and improve health outcomes in the U.S.

Objectives:
This paper provides a systematic review of studies that examined the effectiveness of CHWs in improving healthcare outcomes and reducing healthcare costs with a focus on… Show more

Background:
There is an increasing concern about the escalating healthcare costs amidst poor health outcomes in the U.S. Recently, there have been several empirical studies assessing the effectiveness of utilizing CHWs’ intervention to reduce healthcare costs and improve health outcomes in the U.S.

Objectives:
This paper provides a systematic review of studies that examined the effectiveness of CHWs in improving healthcare outcomes and reducing healthcare costs with a focus on preventive care and management of chronic illnesses in the U.S.

Methods:
Multiple electronic databases were searched from 2007 to 2013. I identified studies that were in English, conducted in the U.S and examined the effectiveness of CHWs for preventive and chronic disease care. Information from these articles was abstracted onto a matrix and qualitatively synthesized.

Results:
Twenty-three studies were identified including nine RCTs. Most studies focused on minority populations, poor patients, women and the elderly. The roles of CHWs varied widely but can be broadly classified as advocacy, outreach, health education and case management. Twenty articles reported a statistically significant improvement in the outcome measures, which varied from improvement in clinical indicators to reductions in ED visits, hospitalizations and healthcare spending. However, only a few of the studies reported cost effectiveness, return on investments and cost savings. Twenty studies reported statistically significant improvement in quality, cost savings or both, while three studies did not find a statistically significant difference in some of their outcome measures.

Conclusions:
Although there were not enough homogenous studies to pool data for a meta-analysis, a majority of the available studies suggest significant benefits in the utilization of CHWs to improve healthcare quality and reduce healthcare costs in the the context of chronic illness management and provision of preventive care in the U.S. Show less

An opinion letter proposing an economic approach to policy intervention to halt and reverse the obesity epidemic trend in the US.

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