Session Overview: Contemporary chronic health care approaches promote the concept of a model of patients with chronic conditions and health professionals working in partnership, promoting self‐management of the condition. Self-management in hearing health care includes empowering the patient to be informed and manage their patient journey, which in adult audiologic rehabilitation often incorporates the provision of hearing aids. Aside from counselling and instruction delivered by clinicians face-to-face in a clinical setting, the use of additional sources, such as mobile device applications (apps), may also support self-management during the patient journey. This presentation will highlight three studies which used smartphone apps to provide insight into patient experiences of hearing and hearing care at different stages of the patient journey. It will show how apps may be used to support client’s stages of hearing loss awareness, decision-making and rehabilitation with hearing aids.

 

Presenter(s): Barbra Timmer