practice partner
good communications overall: “That’s what
you have to do,” says Dr. Scala.
Like any patients, people with hearing
loss see their doctor for all sorts of reasons
– and often the hearing loss itself is not
among them.
Statistics Canada reports that the majority
of Canadians with measured hearing loss
aren’t aware they have any hearing problems. Research shows that about 70% of
adults and 83% of children and youth with
measured hearing loss haven’t reported any
diagnosis by a health-care professional.
If you notice or suspect a possible issue,
raise it with the patient, says Banks, and
make a referral for a hearing test.
Keep in mind that denial about hearing loss can be high. Sometimes, the loss
is so gradual that people don’t notice it
or compensate for it. Other times, people
balk at the idea of hearing aids because of
a perceived stigma, suggests Dr. Scala. The
Canadian Hearing Society reports that 90%
of people with hearing loss can improve
communication with a properly fitted
hearing aid, counselling or environmental
changes.
For people with hearing loss, communications with their doctor overall can either
hinder or foster proper care.
“Patients deserve equal access to information or fair treatment from any health-care
professional,” says Dr. Dunkley. “Communication is a skill central to patient care.
Meeting a patient with hearing loss challenges you to be an effective communicator,
because you need to ensure both of you are
being heard.”
MD
Tell us what you think!
Your feedback helps create a better informed policy.
That is why consultation and engagement with
the profession is such a crucial part of getting it
right. We encourage you to add your voice to the
conversation at www.cpso.on.ca, under the heading
“Consultations”.
New Policy Development
The College is in the process of developing a Continuity of Care policy. As a part of this development process
we expect to explore a number of issues including, after-hours care, information exchange between health-care
providers, physician availability to other health-care professionals, and walk-in clinics.
The deadline for feedback is August 12, 2016
34
www.cpso.on.ca
Dialogue Issue 2, 2016
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2016-06-16 12:27 PM