Patient-centred audiological rehabilitation: Perspectives of older adults who own hearing aids

Abstract

Objective: Patient-centred care is a term frequently associated with quality health care. Despite extensive literature from a range of health-care professions that provide description and measurement of patient-centred care, a definition of patient-centredness in audiological rehabilitation is lacking. The current study aimed to define patient-centred care specific to audiological rehabilitation from the perspective of older adults who have owned hearing aids for at least one year. Design: Research interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of older adults concerning their perceptions of patient-centredness in audiological rehabilitation, and qualitative content analysis was undertaken. Study sample: The participant sample included ten adults over the age of 60 years who had owned hearing aids for at least one year. Results: Data analysis revealed three dimensions to patient-centred audiological rehabilitation: the therapeutic relationship, the players (audiologist and patient), and clinical processes. Individualised care was seen as an overarching theme linking each of these dimensions. Conclusions: This study reported two models: the first model describes what older adults with hearing aids believe constitutes patient-centred audiological rehabilitation. The second provides a guide to operationalised patient-centred care. Further research is required to address questions pertaining to the presence, nature, and impact of patient-centred audiological rehabilitation.

Key Words::

• Hearing impairment
• rehabilitation
• hearing aids
• older adults
• qualitative
• patient-centred care

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the HEARing CRC, established and supported under the Cooperative Research Centres Program – an initiative of the Australian Government.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.