Experiences of accessing healthcare services by people with hearing loss/impairment (deaf) in sub-Saharan Africa: An integrative review

Purpose The aim was to review published articles to identify experiences of people with hearing loss/impairment accessing healthcare services in sub-Saharan Africa. Design and method The study was guided by Cooper's integrative review methodology. Articles published between 2010 and 2020 were identified through electronic databases. The search included: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, EBSCOHOST, MEDLINE, and Psyc INFO and using specific search terms. Ninety-one (91) articles were identified and screened for eligibility, and only seven articles were appraised using relevant tools for qualitative and quantitative designs. Findings The articles that met the inclusion criteria were from the following sub-Saharan countries: Ghana (n = 2) South Africa (n = 3) Uganda (n = 1) and Zimbabwe (n = 1). Review analysis revealed seven (7) major themes categorized as: communication, lack of knowledge, discrimination, financial problem, healthcare workers' attitudes, and a lack of autonomy, security and privacy issues. Conclusion The review provides evidence that indicate the challenges faced by people with hearing loss/impairment in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies suggest that communication, lack of knowledge; financial problems, lack of autonomy and privacy, and a perception of being discriminated against were major impediments in accessing healthcare service. Undesirable attitudes were also a hindrance for healthcare access. Clinical relevance Communication is a major impediment in accessing healthcare for the hearing impaired people residing in sub-Saharan Africa.