Outreach work comes with many challenges, not the least of which is transportation of medical equipment. As an ENT surgeon, I travel with a portable audiometer. Typically, this device is a donated, tabletop, wired suitcase device with a handle. We have traveled to remote communities up north and to our outreach work in east Africa using these types of devices. Tablet audiometry helps overcome some of these challenges.
Another challenge is that these remote areas also suffer from inconsistent access to care as specialists may only visit a few times a year. It is not unusual for patients to have been waiting for weeks, months, or even years to be seen by a specialist.
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