Knowledge and Attitudes Survey of General Practitioners and Paediatricians Regarding Childhood Hearing Loss in Casablanca, Morocco

Background Hearing loss in children is a serious health issue. Primary care physicians (PCPs) are crucial in the process of early detection and intervention, which is necessary to optimize hearing potential and developmental outcomes. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of general practitioners and pediatricians regarding to childhood hearing loss investigate the association between knowledge and attitudes, and examine the influence and the influence of this on the early detection of childhood hearing loss. Methods This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, we conducted a survey, over a period of 8 months from APRIL 2021 to NOVEMBER 2021 in Casablanca. During this period, 100 general practitioners and pediatricians in practice and in training (interns and pediatric residents) were interviewed directly. A self-administered questionnaire assessed PCPs’ knowledge of general facts, diagnosis and intervention, and risk factors for childhood hearing loss. Additionally, the questionnaire evaluated PCPS’ attitudes across cognitive, affective, and behavioural domains regarding childhood hearing loss. Results The physicians in our study were divided into 35% general practitioners, 35% internists, 17% pediatric residents and 13% pediatricians and child psychiatrists. The male/female physician sex ratio was 0.17. The average age was around 30 years. Doctors with less than 5 years' seniority accounted for 85%. Only 27% of doctors were in private practice. Only 27% see >50% of children aged <5 years. And 52% of doctors said they had seen between 1 and 8 deaf children in the last 3 years.93% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that hearing loss is a condition that can become extremely disabling. 44% of participants regularly checked their patients' hearing. Most doctors (80%) referred a child for hearing assessment when they perceived an abnormality during the clinical examination, 76% when the mother expressed a complaint, and 50% when the child presented a high risk of deafness. Only 2% replied that the child should be referred systematically. 97% agreed or strongly agreed that early intervention to assess a child's hearing in response to parental suspicions has a considerable influence on the child's language development. Most doctors are aware of the importance of hearing screening for all newborns (71% considered it very important). The results of our study showed that knowledge of the factors that put a child at risk of permanent hearing loss varied according to the participants. According to our practitioners, the most commonly identified test for assessing infant and toddler hearing was the auditory evoked potential (60%), while half indicated behavioral audiometry and 23% tonal audiometry. Acoustic otoemission and ASSRs were poorly reported by participants. 76% correctly identified the age at which a child's hearing can be assessed, which is from the first 6 months. In our study, more than half (56%) of our doctors had difficulty finding reliable audiology services. Only 38% of participants correctly indicated that a child can benefit from a hearing aid from the first 6 months of life. On the other hand, 88% of doctors were aware that severely deaf children with hearing aids should always benefit from speech therapy. Profound bilateral deafness is the situation where the child may be a candidate for cochlear implantation, and was recognized by 65% of doctors. Only 35% correctly answered that the child could benefit from a cochlear implant from the end of the 1st year. Finally, the doctors were asked to choose the means of information they considered most interesting for their daily practice: 63% chose the round table and 37% chose the online courses. Conclusions This study highlights the urgent need to address knowledge gaps among Moroccan pediatricians and general practitioners (PCPs) regarding childhood hearing loss. While these knowledge gaps, PCPs' favorable attitudes serve as a basis for creating focused educational initiatives that will enhance their expertise in treating childhood hearing loss. To turn these findings into significant advancements in pediatric audiological care, cooperation is crucial.