Active Research

Principal Investigators: Mitchel Turbin, Ph.D., Harvey Abrams, Ph.D.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of single session group Aural Rehabilitation (AR) workshops based on a patient-centered, empowerment model for first time hearing aid users.

Background: Although hearing aids are powerful tools for reducing the consequences of hearing loss, sound processed by these devices must still be transduced to the central auditory system via damaged cochlea hair cells. Treatment of hearing loss therefore traditionally includes AR for training patients in adaptive skills useful for overcoming the limitations of both hearing loss and hearing aids. These AR programs, typically group formats over three to eight sessions, emphasize the interaction between hearing-impaired peers as an important component of the rehabilitation process. Research has shown these programs to be effective, but competition for health care spending within both VA and the private sector has greatly reduced offerings of AR, and where offered at all, AR has typically been truncated to only a single session. No research has been done to determine whether this AR schedule—one rather than multiple sessions—can be effective. We have drawn from research on patient-centered communication (skills used by clinicians for motivating patients to manage their own health) and on the psychology of stress and coping to add to audiological practices and create an optimal model of AR.

Findings: If shown to be effective, this model for single-session AR can be used to improve hearing rehabilitation outcomes in audiology clinics throughout VA and the private sector, and be converted to DVD and Internet-based presentations. We will also explore a variety of personal variables to shed light on how people adjust to hearing loss before and after hearing aids, thus enabling clinical program enhancements and suggesting directions for future research into adaptive affective, behavioral and cognitive treatments for auditory deficits.