Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed with hearing loss, or you’ve been dealing with its effects for years, it’s important to get the health care you deserve. Yes, that includes getting effective treatment, but it also means making sure that the entire process is based on your specific needs and goals. That’s exactly where patient-centered care comes in.
Core principles of patient-centered care
Although the concept applies in all areas of health care, let’s take a peek at what patient-centered care looks like in terms of audiology, or hearing health treatment:
- Perfect Partnership – Your audiologist, or other hearing health professional, should be your partner in care. A partnership means working together to get the best possible solution. With hearing loss treatment, that means getting the best results for you and your lifestyle, not just something that the audiologist knows has worked for someone else.
As your perfect partner, your audiologist should ask you about your personal hearing loss experience, as well as involve your family members. After all, hearing loss affects the whole family and can even negatively affect relationships if not handled properly. When you share your needs, goals, fears, and details about your lifestyle, your audiologist can better determine a treatment plan that encompasses everything you need. A customized, personalized plan means you will be more likely to follow it and ultimately, enjoy better results.
- Visit a Hearing Loss Friendly Office – Depending on your health insurance plan, you may have a variety of hearing health professionals you can choose from for your hearing care. An office that follows patient-centered care principles will make you feel at home and surround you with staff that understands your needs.
Hearing Loss Friendly Office
For example, your audiologist’s office should be hearing loss friendly. This can include staff that speaks loudly and clearly, examination rooms that promote an ideal hearing environment, or a written summary of your visit to facilitate understanding of what was completed or what needs to be done.
- Creative Hearing Loss Solutions – When you think of hearing loss treatment, most people immediately picture hearing aids. A hearing health professional who follows patient-centered care best practices, however, will understand that hearing aids are not the ideal treatment for everyone. They will introduce you to all hearing loss treatment options that could be of benefit to you, which may include another type of assistive listening device. Ultimately, the best treatment will involve a device that meets your hearing needs, is financially viable for you, and matches your lifestyle.
- Going Beyond Technology – Hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and the like are great tools for hearing better, but patient-centered care goes beyond that. Your hearing health partner will also help you understand communication strategies, self-advocacy skills, and other techniques that will help you not only hear better but also have more meaningful interactions with others.
Finding the best hearing loss treatment
Don’t be afraid to search for the best provider for your hearing health needs. After all, your hearing is a precious resource and shouldn’t be treated lightly. At Advanced Hearing Group, our audiologists are firm believers in patient-centered care and they only succeed when you succeed in hearing better and enjoying a better quality of life. Schedule an appointment today to experience the difference.
