Ida Holds Tinnitus Challenge Mini-Seminar

By Amanda Farah Cox

The Ida Institute recently held a mini-seminar on tinnitus in Skodsborg, Denmark. “Tinnitus Challenge: Moving Forward with Person Centered Care” assembled an international group of 15 participants from eight different countries, including audiologists, ENTs, and psychologists.

Psychologist Anne-Mette Mohr gave a presentation about patient and professional responsibility regarding choices of treatment. This was followed by three ethnographic films made by Ida Senior Anthropologist Hans Henrik Philipsen. Hans Henrik met with tinnitus patients in the US and UK, and the films share how the patients developed tinnitus, how it has affected their lives, and how their families help them manage. Following the films, Jesper Müller-Krogstrup of Nosco organized an activity to help participants think about how they deliver difficult messages.

The second day of “Tinnitus Challenge” was primarily devoted to group work. Participants focused their group work on the needs of both patients and professionals, looking to create resources for both. For hearing healthcare professionals, some groups looked at how they can assess a patient’s current state and help them to reframe the way they think of their condition. For patients, they want a way to supply information, help them come to terms with their diagnosis, and give them an easy way of communicating their feelings and experiences with tinnitus.

The message they wish to convey is that while tinnitus cannot be cured, patients have options for management. I looks forward to sharing the output from the meeting, which aim to help hearing healthcare professionals and tinnitus patients do precisely that.