PP110 - Effects of Simulating Hearing Loss: An Audiological Approach to Increase Communication Partners' Knowledge and Empathy

Abstract:
This study aimed to determine if providing a simulation of a patient’s hearing loss changes a communication partner’s (CP) beliefs and attitudes about their partner’s hearing abilities. A six-question survey assessed the CP's knowledge and attitudes on hearing loss, hearing aids, and speech perception before and after the simulation. The comparison of pre- and post-survey results shows a significant shift in beliefs and attitudes. These findings suggest that simulating hearing loss positively impacts CPs' knowledge and empathy, enhancing audiological counseling and supporting better rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with hearing loss.

Summary:
An audiologist is responsible for ensuring that patients and their families receive adequate explanations of test results from the audiological evaluation. Audiological counseling, which ensures that the patient and their family clearly understand the dynamic implications of their specific hearing loss in day-to-day life is arguably as important- if not more important. Even the most supportive and eager-to-learn communication partners and families often have difficulty comprehending the toll of challenges such as distance, background noise, reverberation, and poor acoustics on speech perception by those with hearing loss. Providing a communication partner with a simulation of the patient’s hearing loss allows them to “step into the shoes” of the person with hearing loss for a moment. This project explores how communication partners perceive the impacts of hearing loss on the individual with whom they communicate. By demonstrating what a passage sounds like with normal hearing and then providing a simulation of the partner's hearing loss, communication partners can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by the individual with hearing loss. Attitudes and perceptions were measured through pre-simulation and post-simulation surveys. We hypothesized that exposure to the simulation would lead to increased understanding and awareness among partners, ultimately resulting in elevated levels of empathy. The discussion addressed knowledge gaps and common misconceptions of hearing loss, highlighting areas where audiologists can focus on enhancing education and fostering realistic expectations. Audiologists can play a crucial role in improving communication and support for individuals with hearing loss and their partners by identifying and targeting these areas. The patients’ thresholds were entered into the Audioscan Verifit 2 hearing loss simulation program for frequencies .25-8 kHz, ensuring a customized representation of each individual's degree and configuration of hearing loss. Then, the participants were positioned 3 feet from the Audioscan Verifit 2 speakers, set at 0 degrees azimuth, in a quiet room with no competing background noise. The protocol took approximately 15 minutes and was completed in a single visit. The six-question survey addressed the participants' attitude(s) about hearing loss, knowledge of hearing loss, expectations of hearing aids, and the effects of hearing loss on their communication partner’s perception of speech. It was completed twice, for a before and after simulation comparison. Five questions yielded p-values below 0.05; thus, we concluded there is a statistically significant difference between the average response before and after the simulation. However, question 6 yields a p-value equal to 1, leading to the failed rejection of the null hypothesis. There is no evidence to conclude a change in the average response before and after the simulation was heard. The data highlight a significant gap in knowledge regarding hearing aids and prevalent misconceptions about what they can realistically provide. Furthermore, these misconceptions may contribute to a lack of empathy or understanding from others, perpetuating stigma around hearing loss. To bridge this knowledge gap, audiologists must educate those with hearing loss and their communication partners on the realistic benefits and limitations of consistent hearing aid use.