In the March/April edition of Audiology Today, Ida Fellows John Greer Clark and Kristina English analyze missed opportunities during consultations that often lead patients to take a 'less-than-favorable' view of the services provided.
Clark and English contend that instead of being an add-on service, audiologic counseling should be viewed as a key component to service delivery that can improve patient perceptions of their care and heighten the success of the rehabilitation process. In this way, patient-sensitive conversations play a key part in effective counseling. They can help professionals show their acceptance of patients as they manage their personal hearing loss journey. These conversations also can include reflective listening to get a more well-rounded understanding of the patient's perspectives and needs.
In the article, Clark and English show how patients frequently confide, in private and informal settings, that their hearing care professional "did not fully appreciate the impact of their hearing loss, that the clinicians did not feel empathy towards their condition, and that their appointment seemed rushed, technologically focused, or sales directed."
To illustrate patient frustration when they feel their needs and perspectives are not adequately addressed, Clark and English utilize the Ida Institute's "A Certificate" clinical video. In the video, actors recreate a real-life scene where the audiologist attempts to assist the patient with their hearing loss, but does not directly address the core needs of the patient. As the consultation session progresses, the patient and audiologist continue to talk past each other.
Members of the American Academy of Audiology can access the Audiology Today article by visiting this website.