2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
| Needs Assessment and Development of a Pediatric Hearing Healthcare Pathway and Resource Guide for Families and Professionals in Piura, Peru
Needs Assessment and Development of a Pediatric Hearing Healthcare Pathway and Resource Guide for Families and Professionals in Piura, Peru
Peru’s national poverty rate was 30% in 2023, with quality of health and education falling below WHO standards. A 2017 study detected hearing loss in 7% of schoolchildren in Lima. These children were found to be three times more likely to have academic problems than their normal hearing peers. My five summers of missionary work in Piura have ignited a deep passion for the Peruvian people. Although there is evidence of children with hearing loss receiving audiologic and other medical services, the barriers to that care and extent of prevention, identification, and treatment of hearing loss or other otologic problems are limited.
I traveled to Peru to conduct a needs assessment to investigate audiologic, medical, and academic services offered in Piura. I visited a school for children with hearing loss, a private practice ENT clinic, a language specialist, and the missionary-run mobile medical clinic. I was accompanied by a volunteer translator throughout these conversations. I also connected with a non-profit audiology organization based in Lima, investigated the Peru Sectors of Education and Health Regional Ordinance Proposal regarding early identification and intervention of hearing loss, and conversed with Dr. Carlos Benítez-Barrera regarding Peruvian sign language and professional organizations for Spanish-speaking hearing healthcare providers.
Common themes guided the construction of the Pediatric Hearing Healthcare Pathway and Resource Guide. My needs assessment revealed many established centers for children with hearing loss. However, I believe a significant number of children are not receiving adequate care as affordable options remain difficult to obtain. The care pathway I created contains what I determined to be the most trusted and accessible clinical and educational options available. In addition, stakeholders expressed desire for interdisciplinary collaboration and professional educational opportunities; therefore, they were important to include as local capacity and empowerment are crucial in supporting sustainability and quality care.
- The participant will be able to identify barriers to audiologic care in Piura, Peru.
- The participant will be able to describe the development of a hearing healthcare pathway.
- The participant will be able to formulate strategies for healthcare expansion in underserved regions.
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Presenters/Authors
Rachel Kruse
(Primary Presenter,Author), Vanderbilt University, rachel.a.kruse@vanderbilt.edu;
Rachel is a fourth-year audiology doctoral student at Vanderbilt University, currently completing her externship at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is passionate about pediatric audiology, particularly in partnering with families and advancing access to hearing healthcare in underserved populations.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Anne Marie Tharpe
(Co-Author), Vanderbilt University, anne.m.tharpe@vanderbilt.edu;
Dr. Tharpe is Professor, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville Tennessee. The primary research emphasis in her laboratory has been in furthering our understanding of the developmental impact of hearing loss on young children, including children with minimal bilateral or unilateral hearing loss or developmental differences. This work has examined questions indices of listening effort and fatigue, and academic outcomes. Her recent work has focused on the impact of hearing technology interventions on caregiver and child behavior and classroom and home listening behaviors by those with hearing loss and those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). She also has directed interdisciplinary training grants for almost 30 years focused on infants and young children with hearing loss and infants and young children with ASD. Dr. Tharpe has published extensively in national and international professional journals, has published numerous books and book chapters, and has presented to over 350 audiences around the world on issues related to childhood hearing and hearing loss.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -