The Ida Institute announced that it will present the non-profit’s newest person-centered resources at AAA 2021 Virtual, this year’s virtual American Academy of Audiology conference.

Related article: AAA 2021 Virtual Convention Starts on Wednesday, April 14!

At the top of the list is a timely report on the first-ever Future Hearing Journeys project, an exploration of how hearing care could change over the next 5-10 years and the implications for people with hearing loss, hearing care professionals, educators, students, and the hearing care industry.

Also launching is a resource designed to help organizations explore the future of hearing care in their own contexts and an Ida University Course module on clinician well-being.

Visitors to the Ida Institute’s virtual exhibit at AAA 2021 Virtual can speak directly to members of the Ida team about these new, free resources, and access links to download them. Conference attendees will also gain access to an Ida Institute Web Seminar – available from April 17 – to learn about the Future Hearing Journeys project and tool from the people who developed them.

“We’re excited to present new, innovative resources with tangible, real-world benefits at the first virtual AAA conference,” said Lise Lotte Bundesen, managing director of the Ida Institute. “We know from our Future Hearing Journeys project that person-centered care will be one of the most important trends in the next decade. These new resources will enable current and future clinicians to further develop their PCC knowledge and skills.”

Future Hearing Journeys Report

Over the past year, the Ida Institute said it has conducted 60 interviews, six focus groups, two workshops, and one global survey with almost 1,500 responses, and months of research and analysis in a bid to understand the future landscape of hearing care. The Future Hearing Journeys report shares the insights gathered from people with hearing loss, hearing care professionals, academics, and the industry.

Among the key findings, professional guidance during in-person appointments was identified as the most important aspect of care for people with hearing loss. Around 87% of people with hearing loss reported that they prefer purchasing hearing devices from an audiologist to online or in-store purchases. Academics pointed to person-centered care as the second most important opportunity for hearing care professionals in the coming years, trumped only by telehealth.

The report shows that in the future, telehealth will allow hearing care professionals to extend care to their clients’ homes. In many cases, care will be delivered as a hybrid of face-to-face and remote. Increasing commercialization and competition will likely lead to new technologies and access to cheaper technology. At the same time, wellness trends will lead consumers to think more holistically, seeing hearing as part of their overall health and focusing more on experiences (eg, the care they receive) than possessions (eg, hearing care devices).

“While we can’t plan the future, we can prepare for it,” said Bundesen. “Armed with these new insights, we will all be better able to navigate an evolving landscape of new technologies, consumer demands, and business models.”

To help other organizations explore the future of audiology in their local contexts, the Ida Institute has created a new resource, Explore the Future of Hearing Care, which comprises a series of free, downloadable materials. Groups can choose to run five half-hour ‘Lunch and Chat’ sessions or 1-3 hour strategic discussion. The materials include ready-made PowerPoints and facilitator guides.

Teaching Clinician Self-Care

The new Ida University Course module, Clinician well-being: Self-care in the hearing clinic, was developed by Dr Dunay Schmulian, director of audiology at Metro South Health in Brisbane, Australia and addresses burnout among hearing care clinicians, a topic that has received limited attention.

Students will learn about principles and strategies of self-care, how to debrief challenging clinical encounters, and how clinician well-being relates to person-centered care.

The lecture series feeds into the full Ida Institute university course, which aims to support lecturers and supervisors as they prepare students to work with individuals and families with hearing loss. Throughout the course, role-playing and classroom discussions are used to provide context for the material.

Source: Ida Institute