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Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This SIG 8 activity includes hearing health care models to address disparities
and public heath challenges known within the field of audiology—including
challenges in accessing hearing health care. With an expected growth in the
population of those affected by hearing loss, innovative and adaptive strategies
to meet the growing need for hearing health care is essential. The two articles
included provide different approaches to address hearing-related needs in their
community. The work by Smiley and Murphy provides a history of the path
towards mobile health care and how different mobile audiology service delivery
models may be utilized to meet given identified health care and population
needs. The authors describe how considerations towards multidisciplinary care
and needs assessments may support effective service delivery. Additionally,
Hay-McCutcheon et al. present an example of how community health workers
may increase access to aural rehabilitation, including for those who receive over-the-counter hearing devices. The authors describe how they approached and
developed a community health worker–led education training program in their
rural community.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This SIG 8 activity summarizes the existing knowledge regarding auditory and
nonauditory health outcomes of roadway traffic noise. Sources of roadway noise,
theorized impacts on the auditory system, systems of measurement, and proposed
policy and public health solutions are reviewed. The authors describe how audiologists
fit within broader public health efforts to address noise exposure in the population.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This course contains two articles: one that discusses health care disparities and the need for better communication access for people with hearing loss, and one that addresses the potential role of audiologists in screening for cognitive impairment.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
In “Coupling Hearing Health With Community-Based Group Therapy for Cognitive Health in Low-Income African American Elders,” Postman et al. describe a community-based group intervention to address disparities experienced by African American elders in the early stages of cognitive–communicative decline. The intervention included partnerships with community health centers, culturally informed activities, and ongoing input from staff and participants. The authors describe the advantages of this community-engaged approach, as well as the benefits of joining hearing and cognition for minimizing access barriers. In “Public Health Frameworks in Audiology Education: Rationale and Model for Implementation,” Warren and Levy review how public health education can advance the field of audiology, particularly through coursework and dual degree programs. The authors also describe two frameworks for public health training in an audiology academic setting and identify the competencies that overlap in audiology and public health, helping to illustrate the relevance of public health education in addressing objectives in hearing
health care.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These SIG 8 Perspectives articles focus on topics that are important in promoting public health audiology. In “Fundamentals of Epidemiology for the Audiologist,” Torre and Reavis provide an overview of basic epidemiologic concepts including study design, prevalence, incidence, risk ratios, and odds ratios. The authors emphasize that an understanding of epidemiology is crucial for audiologists for a variety of reasons, including to help them assess the quality of publications, evaluate and discuss the efficacy of screening methods, and evaluate and communicate risk factors for ear and hearing problems. In “Hearing Health Care Delivery Outside the Booth,” Gates, Hecht, Grantham, Fallon, and Martukovich review the literature on boothless audiometry and introduce current tools used to deliver hearing health care outside of the traditional clinic setting. From their review, the authors conclude that boothless audiometry technology provides an opportunity for audiologists to expand services to nontraditional settings such as waiting grooms and nursing homes, increasing access to care, early identification, and intervention, and therefore improving health outcomes.
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