Analysis of implementation and evaluation of a child hearing health program in primary care
Inservice training. Community health workers. Neonatal schreening. Hearing. Primary health care.
Introduction: The World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health have
recommended the articulation of Child Hearing Health Programs with primary health
care, with the Community Health Agent (CHA) playing an extremely important role in
this proposal, due to the scope of the Family Health Strategy and the close relationship
of this professional with the families. Objective: To implement and evaluate a child
hearing health program in primary care. Method: Prospective longitudinal
observational study, structured in two stages: (1) Analysis of the effectiveness of an
online course for the training of CHA in the area of child hearing health; (2) Analysis of
a Child Hearing Health Program in Primary Care. 2859 enrolled participants in this
online course, and of these, 23 formed a specific group of CHA from two basic health
units, with face-to-face monitoring. Results: 1842 participants (63.34%) finished the
course, with representation from all Brazilian states and also from abroad and from
various specialties, predominantly in the medical field. The course was well evaluated
and reflected in improved post-training knowledge. 102 children aged zero to two years
were followed up by the CHA during the period of one year, proceeding with the referral
of 15 of them. A case of conductive hearing loss was found. Conclusion: The self-
instructional online course proved to be effective for distance education of CHAs in the
area of child hearing health. The Child Hearing Health Program linked to primary care
is feasible and promising, however, strategies are necessary to minimize the existing
problems.