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Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to Dr Christopher Lind for coordinating the article reviews and for his expert input and advice. The publication of this special supplement in the International Journal of Audiology has been made possible through the generous funding support of the HEARing CRC Limited, an Australian Government Initiative.
Guest Foreword
Robert Cowan
Chief Executive Officer, The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre, Australia President, International Society of Audiology
It is well recognized that hearing loss has a significant personal, professional, and social impact, as well as carrying a broad financial cost to the individual and the State. The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre, an initiative of the Australian Government first established in 1992, is a collaboration of some twenty-five member organizations, including universities, hearing healthcare industry, government services and research, clinical agencies and hospitals, early intervention centres, and professional audiologists, focused on the twin challenges of more effective prevention and improved remediation of hearing loss.
Some eight years ago, we realized that current models of hearing rehabilitation were not delivering the anticipated benefits. Whilst researchers believed it likely that a different approach, involving the client more centrally in their own hearing healthcare might increase the take up and use of hearing technology and rehabilitation, the evidence base to support this contention was scarce.
The HEARing CRC, with its longer-term funding, provided a window of opportunity to conduct a range of controlled studies to identify barriers to the take up and use of intervention and rehabilitation services, and the outcomes of these studies are presented in this supplement.
A key focus of the HEARing CRC is to conduct research and innovation that leads to improved clinical services and benefits to end users. Translation of research into impact requires that information is communicated to those who can actually apply the findings, and so we are delighted to support this special supplement to the International Journal of Audiology, and hope that it will provide useful insights and ideas for clinicians in delivering hearing healthcare.
From its outset, these studies have been expertly led by Professor Louise Hickson, for which we are extremely grateful. Louise has been well supported by her core study team at the University of Queensland, as well as many other speech pathologists, educationalists, and audiologists from other member organizations of The Hearing Cooperative Research Centre. We are extremely grateful to the participants, and for the funding provided by the Cooperative Research Centres Program - an Australian Government Initiative.
