Practice patterns of South African audiologists in cerumen management: a pilot study

Objective: To determine the training, self-reported competence and practice patterns of South African audiologists (SAAs) regarding cerumen management (CM).

Design: Prospective cross-sectional survey. An online questionnaire was completed by SAA between July and September 2016. The questionnaire addressed sections on educational training, experience and practice patterns of SAAs regarding CM.

Study sample: Three hundred and fifty-six SAAs responded to an email invitation sent to 382 actively-practicing audiologists.

Results: Majority of the participants (85%) were employed for less than 10 years. Forty-nine percent received less than 10 hours of theoretical training while 57% received less than 10 hours of clinical education. A total of 96% of the participants indicated they felt competent to perform CM, with 96% preferring manual, ear syringing, or a combination of the two. Handwashing pre- and post-procedure was the preferred method of infection prevention and control by 87% of the participants with 66% of these indicating they only wore gloves. Majority (85%) of the participants indicated that they always explained the possible complications of CM to their patients.

Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that South African audiologists feel that they are adequately trained and competent to perform CM.