Telecare Tools to Supplement Your Hearing Care
Technology affects every facet of our lives and of course hearing care is no exception. From 17th century ear trumpets to bone anchored hearing implantable devices, technology has been an inseparable component of hearing care. The two are so entwined that it’s hard to discuss hearing care of any kind without also discussing the technologies that are key enablers of that care.
Through innovative technologies, new avenues for hearing care have been created that will improve the patient experience. Key among these is telehealth. Telehealth can be described as any remote technology that assists patients in communicating with their healthcare providers. It could take the form of video conferencing, a messaging app, or even a simple phone call.
The Ida Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Denmark working to advance a person-centered approach to hearing care, has developed a set of Telecare Tools aimed at helping people with hearing loss. The online Telecare Tools help people with hearing loss to articulate their unique needs and circumstances to their hearing care professional. The tools are designed to involve people with hearing loss in their own care, making them partners with their hearing care professional.
The Telecare Tools help people with hearing loss prepare for their first and follow-up appointments and list strategies to manage daily life more easily. The tools assist people with hearing loss in voicing challenges and priorities more clearly and upfront in the appointment with their hearing care professional. The appointment can then more immediately focus on what is most important to the people with hearing loss. By being prompted to think about and articulate their individual needs, the people with hearing loss become more aware of difficult environments, coping needs, and the effect of their hearing loss on loved ones.
All the tools can be accessed for free below or at the Ida Institute’s website at idainstitute.com/telecare
While hearing care professionals are experts in audiology, we consider people with hearing loss to be experts about their own hearing challenges. That’s why it’s necessary for hearing care professionals to involve people with hearing loss in their own care to achieve the best outcomes.
The People I Talk To
Prepare for your next appointment by listing the people you talk to most often and writing down your goals for improving your hearing and communication. Don’t see content below? Go to The People I Talk To page.
Tinnitus Thermometer
How is your tinnitus affecting you today? Make notes about how you feel to discuss with your hearing care professional. Don’t see content below? Go to Tinnitus Thermometer page.
Why Improve My Hearing?
Getting ready to go to your first appointment about your hearing? Identify the places and situations where you would like to hear better and your reasons for wanting to improve your communication.
Don’t see content below? Go to Why Improve My Hearing? page.
Living Well
Identify when and where it’s most important for you to hear and communicate well so you and your hearing care professional can plan how to deal with these situations together. Don’t see content below? Go to Living Well page.
Dilemma Game
Use your critical thinking skills to come up with the right solution for you in a variety of challenging hearing environments. Don’t see content below? Go to Dilemma Game page.
The Ida and HLAA Partnership
In November 2017, HLAA and the Ida Institute established a formal partnership aimed at enhancing the quality of audiological rehabilitation and strengthening a person-centered approach to hearing care.
About the Ida Institute
The Ida Institute is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by a grant from the Oticon Foundation. The institute works to develop and integrate person-centered care in hearing rehabilitation. Together with hearing care professionals around the world, Ida develops knowledge and tools to strengthen the counselling process, enabling people to express their individual needs and preferences and take ownership of their hearing care.
The Ida Institute is based in Denmark and has a community of over 14,000 hearing health care professionals worldwide. Follow the Ida Institute on Twitter at @idainstitute, facebook.com/idainstitute or linkedin.com/company/ida-institute