ABSTRACT Efforts to improve cultural competence in pediatric hearing loss services should be informed by evidence of how culture can affect services, yet there is a paucity of research in the field of audiology. The aim of this study was to gain insight into practitioners’ experiences with offering early hearing loss services to minority culture families. Specifically, the objective was to examine possible barriers and facilitators to improving cultural competence in early hearing loss services by exploring the perspectives of the providers of care from across Canada. A survey, informed by our previous studies, was disseminated to practitioners providing hearing loss services. Responses to all survey questions were analyzed descriptively. Open-ended questions were analyzed with simple content analysis. Results indicate practitioners reported barriers at each stage of service delivery: during diagnoses, amplification discussions, language assessments, and interventions. Practitioners also described various strategies used to facilitate culturally competent care. Findings stemming from this study can be used to inform practitioners seeking to provide culturally competent care.

中文翻译：

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检查儿童听力损失服务的文化能力：一项调查

摘要 应通过文化如何影响服务的证据来提高儿科听力损失服务的文化能力，但听力学领域的研究却很少。本研究的目的是深入了解从业者为少数民族文化家庭提供早期听力损失服务的经验。具体而言，目的是通过探索来自加拿大各地的护理提供者的观点，研究提高早期听力损失服务文化能力的可能障碍和促进因素。根据我们之前的研究，向提供听力损失服务的从业者分发了一项调查。对所有调查问题的回答进行了描述性分析。开放式问题通过简单的内容分析进行分析。结果表明，从业者在服务提供的每个阶段都报告了障碍：在诊断、放大讨论、语言评估和干预期间。从业者还描述了用于促进具有文化能力的护理的各种策略。这项研究的结果可用于告知寻求提供文化能力护理的从业者。