A Survey of Aural Rehabilitation Services Provided to Hearing Impaired Clients in the Private Sector

While the approaches for providing aural rehabilitation to the hearing impaired are well documented, no research and only a few articles addressed the comprehensive application of these approaches in the private sector. Therefore, a survey of audiologists was conducted to determine how extensively the approaches are being utilized in this setting and what, if any, unmet client needs may exist. Sixty certified, dispensing audiologists who work in the private sector and reside in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming participated in the study. Participants were identified from membership lists provided by the five states\u27 Speech-Language and Hearing Associations. A questionnaire was constructed to determine the extent that 14 topics, 32 methods, and 18 barriers, which were identified in the literature, are being used or encountered when providing services to these clients. The survey results indicated that once the standard hearing aid evaluation has been completed, 45% of the respondents are spending less than 60 minutes in providing aural rehabilitation to each client. Only 5% of the respondents were dissatisfied with this amount of time, indicating that 40% believed that comprehensive aural rehabilitation services can be provided satisfactorily in less than one hour. Eighty-six percent of the topics listed in the questionnaire are being discussed with a majority of the respondents\u27 clients. On an average, the respondents discussed topics relating to Audiogram Results, Hearing Aid Orientation, and Expectations for Hearing Aids with over 90% of their hearing impaired clients. They discussed Trouble Shooting and Communication Enhancement with 76-83% of their clients, and they also discussed Hearing Loss Information and Listening Devices with 58-60% of them. Community Resources was discussed with only 33% of this clientele. Only 25% of the methods listed in the questionnaire are being utilized with a majority of the respondents\u27 hearing impaired clients. On an average, respondents utilized methods relating to Oral Instruction with 99% of these clients. They utilized Counseling, Skill Practice, and Support with between 49-64% of them. Respondents utilized the remainder of the methods, including Written Materials, Visual Aids, Referral, Audio-Visual Aids, Structured Classes, and Programmed Instruction, with less than 30% of this clientele. Sixty-three percent of the methods that respondents estimated using with a majority of their clients rely solely upon the ability to hear and comprehend the spoken word, and only 37% of these provide opportunities for repeated exposure to the educational concepts being conveyed. None of the barriers listed in the questionnaire were perceived by respondents as having a high degree of influence on the services they provide. Only 1/3 of the barriers were perceived as having a moderate degree of influence, including audiologists\u27 lack of time to research or develop instructional materials and clients• a.) denial, b.) vanity or self-consciousness, c.) lack of interest, d.) reluctance to participate in an aural rehabilitation program, and e.) ability to afford a hearing aid