Evaluating parents’ satisfaction with the newborn hearing screening program for children with special needs

Abstract Objective Universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) has been implemented in many countries, as it enables early detection and intervention for children with HL. The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing stated the importance of measuring parental satisfaction in the evaluation and monitoring of the NHSPs’s success. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the satisfaction of parents of children with special needs in relation to newborn hearing screening programs (NHSPs). Materials and methods The participants of the present study consisted of mothers of children with special needs who were receiving speech and language therapy at DILKOM. A total of 42 questionnaires were distributed; however, only 30 completed forms were returned. The satisfaction of the parents with the NHSP was assessed using the Turkish version of the “Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Programs (PSQ-NHSP). Results Participants reported receiving information about the newborn hearing screening program prior to the hearing test. The proportion of “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” responses was 57% for the information domain, 71% for staff responsible for the hearing test, 68% for the hearing screening process, and 67% for overall satisfaction. Difficulties in understanding the information were reported by 47% of participants. Conclusions In conclusion, while responses generally indicated agreement with most items, difficulties in understanding the provided information were identified as an important issue requiring attention in family-centered communication practices. Nevertheless, there remains a need for additional research focusing on both the NHSP process and parental attitudes within this population to provide a more comprehensive understanding of parental satisfaction and the effectiveness of the NHSP.