1. Facilitating Effective Communication for Hearing-Impaired Individuals: A Model for Healthcare Settings.
Jasmine Zavala, B.S
Student Doctor of Audiology
Class of 2020
Rupa Balachandran, PhD., CCC-A
Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Audiology

2. Reduction of disparities in health care
Best practices guidelines of JCAHO and ADA include providing access to communication.
yet...
85% of outpatient clinics serving adults ages 65 and over do not offer assistive listening devices.

3. In a health care setting …
Patients report that they were not able to:
Hear their name
Answer questions about health and medications
Keep pace with the conversation
Very dissatisfied; “I felt that I was not heard”

4. Project 1
GOAL :
Improve communication between providers and hearing- impaired adults in a clinical setting.

5. Project Description
Develop an amplifier implementation tool kit for clinics serving patients 65 years and older.

6. Development of the Tool Kit
Worked with Williams Sound, a manufacturer of Assistive Listening Devices.
The Pocketalker device was selected to be used.
Amplifies a broad range
Easy to use
Robust
2 AAA batteries (3 months battery life)
Headphone covers for hygiene
Very affordable (~$180 / device)

7. Implementation of the Toolkit
A presentation discussing the toolkit.
Participating clinics were given two sets of Pocketalkers to pilot in their clinic.
Pocketalkers were stored in a clear plastic box that would be visible in each provider room.
Signage for the clinic indicating that Pocketalkers were available for hearing-impaired adults.

8. Box With Pocketalker

9. Signage For Clinic

10. Clinics Currently Participating in the Program
San Mateo County Medical Center: 12 units
Alameda County Health System: 2 units
Stanford Health Clinics: 8 units
Dugoni Dental School: 5 units
Contra Costa County Health Services: 2 units

11. Feedback
“I use it with every new patient and it has encouraged families to get hearing aids or amplifiers for their loved ones.” - Dr. Susan Joseph, San Mateo Medical Center “This amplifier is more effective than our last one...the feature with the ear covers also increases hygiene.” - Dr. Diana Jao, San Mateo Medical Center “It has been wonderful for our patients… They have been really happy.” - Dr Evan Seevak, Alameda County Health System

12. Improve confidence of providers working with hearing-impaired patients
Project II & III
GOAL:
Improve confidence of providers working with hearing-impaired patients

13. Project Description
Train First-Year Dental students to identify when people are struggling to hear and train them on how to use pocket talkers in the clinical setting.
Part of Integrated Clinic Sciences course in second semester.
Project I
Training in the use of pocket talkers in a clinic setting.
Project II
Didactic portion: Presentation on hearing loss and amplification
Clinical Portion: Roleplaying on conversations about hearing loss and use of pocket talker
Final exam: Questions on materials learned in the trainings

14. Sample Questions Confidence
I can identify someone as having a hearing loss
I feel confident communicating with a hard of hearing person
I feel confident discussing hearing loss with my patient
Knowledge
I know what options are available for treating hearing loss
I know why good hearing is important
I know where to refer my patients for further hearing testing and follow up

15. Data Collected Questionnaires administered Pre and Post training
Ratings of knowledge and confidence in interaction were collected
All students reported increase in confidence and knowledge when working with hearing impaired patients
Greater increases for Project II where there was role playing about how to talk with a hearing –impaired adult

17. Lessons learned Need Buy in from providers Simple easy to use kits
Training on knowledge
Training on how to direct conversation
Role Playing for difficult topics

18. Acknowledgements
Williams Sound for providing the amplifiers used in this project.
All the clinics who participated!