For professionals
Audiology Hub
At Phonak, we understand that the journey to better hearing starts with you. That’s why we support hearing care professionals with innovative technologies, high-quality research, and best practice clinical resources to deliver exceptional care for your clients and to help grow your business. Hearing aid use has been shown to promote higher activity levels and offers your clients greater environmental awareness and improved balance.
Phonak Well-Hearing is Well-Being™
Hearing loss extends beyond hearing sensitivity in many ways. The complexity of hearing loss relates to the complexity of life. Growing evidence shows that taking steps towards hearing well lead to a greater state of well-being:¹
Social-emotional well-being
Hearing well fosters easier engagement, stronger connections, and a more positive outlook. In fact, hearing aid users report that hearing aids positively impact their relationships, work performance, ability to participate in group activities and overall quality of life.2
Cognitive well-being
The link between hearing loss and cognition is well established.
New publications shine a light on the growing understanding of the connection between hearing loss and cognitive health.
We provide you with evidence-based facts and professional resources to foster your clients' cognitive well-being in daily practice:
Physical well-being
Hearing well enables people to live a more active and healthier lifestyle, and hearing aids may promote higher activity level3, offer greater environmental awareness, and improved balance.4-6
You are uniquely positioned to draw your client's attention to the connection between hearing well and being well.
Phonak offers guides and tools that make it easy to talk about the impact of hearing health on overall well-being.
New
Social-emotional well-being and adult hearing loss: clinical recommendations
New horizons in holistic, person-centred health promotion for hearing healthcare
Other resources
Discover the joy of hearing well - Well-Hearing is Well-Being
Can listening-related fatigue influence well-being?
Integrating Well-Hearing is Well-Being into clinical conversations
Social-emotional well-being and adult hearing loss: clinical recommendations
New horizons in holistic, person-centred health promotion for hearing healthcare
Severe-to-profound hearing loss in adults
Understanding the impact of severe-to-profound hearing loss brings into focus just how complex the auditory system can be. While there are many guides and resources for adults with hearing loss, there are few resources that specifically address severe-to-profound hearing loss in adults.
Management of severe-to-profound hearing loss
A group of international experts in research and clinical practice developed recommendations on the audiological management of severe-to-profound hearing loss in adults. The result of this cooperation is a publication filled with expert guidance for hearing care professionals and are designed to help treat severe-to-profound hearing loss. Successfully managing these complex needs requires ongoing professional development of skills which support your patients on well-being with:
- Continued hearing device optimization and maintenance
- Self-management strategies
- Counseling and support
- Referral onward when appropriate
Pediatric audiology
As a pediatric audiologist, families will depend on you for support with accurate hearing assessments and timely, beneficial hearing solutions for their children. At Phonak, we have spent years building a strong leadership role in the field of pediatric audiology through scientific conferences featuring internationally renowned experts, evidence-based research, and innovative product development.
Family-Centered Care
Family-Centered Care (FCC) recognizes the vital role that families play in audiological treatment and rehabilitation. To best deliver quality care and integrate the family into the process, a whole-of-clinic approach is essential. All staff from front of house to clinicians need to be involved in applying FCC practices. A recent study at The University of Queensland, in collaboration with Sonova, identified key steps to improve FCC in adult audiology clinics.
- Always invite a family member to attend with the client
- Set up the physical environment so that family members are included in the appointment. For example, setting up a chair for the family member next to the client’s chair in the appointment room so that both client and family member are equal distance from you.
- Start the appointment by letting the client and family member know that input from both will be sought during the appointment.
eAudiology
eAudiology includes technologies and services that enable remote care at each stage of the client journey. This includes screenings, assessments, coaching, adjustments, monitoring, assistance, rehabilitation, and aftercare. Recent studies reveal that eAudiology removes barriers for access to care and affords more choice to clients and providers⁷
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Footnotes
1. Vercammen, C., Ferguson, M., Kramer, S.E., et al. (2020). Well-Hearing is Well-Being. Hearing Review, 27(3), 18-22. Retrieved from https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/patient-care/counseling-education/well-hearing-is-well-being on June 1st, 2020.
2. Abrams, H.B., & Kihm, J. (2015). An Introduction to MarkeTrak IX: A New Baseline for the Hearing Aid Market. Hearing Review, 22(6), 16. Retrieved from https://www.hearingreview.com/2015/05/introduction-marketrak-ix-new-baseline-hearing-aid-market/ on March 25, 2021
3. Dawes, P., Cruickshanks, K. J., Fischer, M. E., Klein, B. E. K., Klein,R., & Nondahl, D. M. Hearing-aid use and long-term health outcomes: Hearing handicap, mental health, social engagement, cognitive function, physical health, and mortality. Int J Audiol. 2015;54(11), 838 844. https://doi.org/10.3109/14992027.2015.1059503
4. Negahban H, Bavarsad Cheshmeh Ali M, Nassadj G. Effect of hearing aids on static balance function in elderly with hearing loss. Gait Posture. 2017;58:126-129.
5. Rumalla K, Karim AM, Hullar TE. The effect of hearing aids on postural stability. Laryngoscope. 2015;125(3):720-723.
6. Vitkovic J, Le C, Lee SL, Clark RA. The Contribution of Hearing and Hearing Loss to Balance Control. Audiol Neurotol. 2016;21(4):195-202. July 18, 2022 at 2:01 PM
7. Muñoz, K., Nagaraj, N. K. & Nichols, N. (2020). Applied tele-audiology research in clinical practice during the past decade: a scoping review. International Journal of Audiology. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2020.1817994
