12 Tips for Compassionate Patient Communication in Audiology

Hearing loss can be an emotional experience, with patients reporting associated feelings of embarrassment, anxiety and sadness.¹ When patients visit your audiology practice, they may struggle to accept the reality of the diagnosis or express concern about its impact on their quality of life.²

However, by demonstrating compassionate patient communication skills like empathy, patience and active listening, you can build trust with audiology patients and create a positive atmosphere for care, which may lead to greater adherence to treatment and more successful outcomes.³

Barriers to Hearing Care

The stigma surrounding hearing loss and hearing devices may include fears of:¹

• Appearing weak
• Being different
• Getting old
• Lacking intelligence

Patients may internalize these stereotypes, believing them to be true, which can then lead to a lack of adherence to recommended treatment.¹

In addition, the cost of hearing devices — and the ability to budget for that cost — can be another cause of anxiety in patients and a barrier to care. According to Synchrony’s Hearing Health and Loss Prevention Study, the average out-of-pocket cost for hearing devices is more than $400, and 34% of patients with hearing loss who don’t have a hearing device cite expense as a reason they won’t consider getting one, even if their hearing gets worse.⁴

Benefits of Compassionate Patient Communication

In light of these sensitivities, it’s important for audiologists to prioritize compassionate patient communication and care. This kind of communication can:³

• Build trust, making patients more likely to follow through with recommended care
• Empower patients to make informed decisions about their hearing care
• Foster dialogue between patient and provider, creating a healthier environment for effective treatment
• Help providers understand the patient’s perspective, leading to more personalized treatment plans
• Strengthen the patient-provider relationship, leading to improved health outcomes

Ultimately, strong interpersonal communication can help hearing care teams build rapport with patients and enhance the quality of patient care.³

12 Tips for Audiology Patient Communication

Consider these 12 practical tips for compassionate audiology patient communication and care:

1. Make sure you are heard and understood

First, it’s important to master the basics of effectively communicating with patients who have hearing loss. These tips from the National Institute on Aging can help:⁵

• Address them face-to-face. To facilitate lipreading, don’t talk when your back is turned or while you’re typing.
• Convey a change in subject. You can indicate this by pausing briefly, asking a question, gesturing or gently touching the patient.
• Give context for letters that sound alike. For example, say “M as in Mary” or “N as in Nancy.”
• Speak in layman’s terms. Avoid medical jargon — instead, use simple, common language that can be easily understood.
• Use a normal tone of voice. A high-pitched voice can be hard to hear, and shouting can give the impression of anger.

2. Use respectful forms of address

Hearing loss doesn’t lessen the maturity of an adult patient, so be sure to establish respect right away by speaking to them as a fellow adult. Use formal language such as “Mr.” or “Ms.” — particularly for older patients who may be accustomed to these forms of address. Avoid overly familiar terms such as “dear” or “honey,” which may be perceived as condescending. You can also ask patients how they prefer to be addressed.⁵

3. Prioritize their comfort

Patients may respond emotionally to details about their hearing loss and treatment, and it’s hard to retain new information when distracted by anxiety, anger or disappointment. If a patient seems distressed, pause the conversation until they indicate they’re ready to continue.

4. Convey empathy

While gathering details about a patient’s hearing concerns, encourage them to express the emotional impact of their hearing loss. As they speak, accept and validate their feelings with your words and with attentive body language.

Consider these strategies to offer support:⁶

• Confirm what’s most important. “So let me confirm: You indicated the following problems need our attention … ”
• Elicit more input. “Could you help me understand with an example? Anything else?”
• Use encouraging phrases. “Mm-hmm, OK.”
• Validate emotions. “You’re worried about changes. It sounds like you were uncomfortable?”

5. Use photovoice to learn about their needs

Photovoice involves patients taking photos of people, places and situations throughout their week and emailing them to their hearing care team with a brief note explaining what each picture means to them. These photos can provide personalized context for an audiology patient’s concerns, allowing the patient and provider to discuss problem-solving strategies for specific communication partners or challenges. If a patient doesn’t have access to a camera or email, you can discuss generic photos of different daily experiences.⁶

6. Tailor your communication to their concerns

Did you know that many adults with hearing loss report more concern over the stigma associated with hearing loss than with hearing devices, while many hearing care professionals believe the stigma of wearing hearing devices is patients’ main concern? This mismatch could lead audiologists to focus on the favorable appearance of modern hearing devices instead of concerns about hearing loss itself.¹

To guard against misperceptions, ask questions to determine each patient’s key concerns and provide relevant support.

7. Employ the teach-back method

After explaining an audiology patient’s test results or treatment recommendations, ask them to explain the information back to you. For example: “Before we move on, could you tell me how you would explain these details to a friend or family member?” This way, patients can stay actively engaged in learning about their hearing loss and treatment, and providers can clear up any misunderstandings from the start.⁶

8. Put it in writing

Reinforce your audiology patient education by providing summaries of each visit. You can document or print out key takeaways such as diagnoses, treatment recommendations and important terms. Additionally, you can encourage patients and their family members to take their own notes. That kind of active patient engagement can make it easier for them to retain the information and adhere to treatment.⁵

9. Provide family-centered care

Offering family-centered care can help providers stay focused on the fact that hearing loss is a shared disability, affecting the whole family. Consider these strategies to adopt family-centered care in your hearing care practice:⁶

• Invite family members to audiology appointments. You can say something like, “Our experience is that it’s helpful if you bring a friend or loved one to the appointment. Who would that be?” If the patient is unsure, let them know there’s a lot to discuss, and it can be helpful to include family and friends in the process.
• Arrange the room so family members are comfortably included in the consultation. Rather than seating loved ones in the back of the room, create space for everyone to sit together. This type of environment can foster a sense that everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and feelings.
• Tell the patient and their family member that you will seek input from both of them. You might say, “First, I want to find out about your hearing and communication [directed to the patient]. Then, I want to find out about this from your perspective [directed to their loved one].” By listening to both perspectives, you can gain a better understanding of the patient’s and family’s overall needs.

Bonus: Family members can have a positive influence on hearing appointments, even helping patients accept a hearing device.⁶

10. Emphasize joint goal-setting

Rather than giving patients a set of directives, use language that invites them to partner with you in decisions about their hearing care. For example, if you’re discussing hearing devices, consider the difference between these two approaches:⁶

• “You will need to wear these hearing devices at home and in every other environment before your next appointment.”

• “Our best practices recommend listening with hearing devices as much as possible. What would that look like for you? Are there specific situations you’d like to start with? What would be a manageable target of hours of use per day during the next couple of weeks?”

The second approach emphasizes patient-centered care and may result in a more realistic and satisfactory treatment plan.⁶

11. Let them lead the cost conversation

When it comes to costs, the best conversations can happen when patients take the lead. If the patient mentions the cost of hearing devices before their exam, consider sharing the following insights:

• A variety of brands, technology levels and outcomes are available.
• The patient’s exam and lifestyle will guide the hearing care team to recommend the best solution for their needs.
• Payment options and financing solutions are available, i.e., “Many patients ask about financing their hearing devices. Would you like to know the financing solutions available to you?”

If the patient asks about costs during or after the exam, help them understand the potential benefits of hearing devices for their lifestyle. And if hearing treatment cost conversations feel uncomfortable, remember that you’re helping provide a solution that can have a life-changing impact on patients as well as their families.

12. Offer flexible financing

Often, patients’ concern is not the cost of hearing devices — it’s comfortably fitting that cost into their budget. That’s why it’s so important to make patients aware of options that can help them prioritize hearing care. According to Synchrony’s Hearing Health and Loss Prevention Study, 58% of people with hearing loss who don’t use a hearing device like the idea of being able to finance the cost of one.⁴ Offering flexible financing can be a way to address patients’ cost concerns and help them consider wearing a hearing device.⁴

Prioritizing Empathetic Patient Communication

While hearing loss can be challenging, audiology practices have an opportunity to alleviate patient anxiety and foster a mutually beneficial relationship. By demonstrating compassion in your audiology patient communication, your practice can enhance patient engagement, treatment outcomes and the overall patient experience.²

A Patient Financing Solution for Your Hearing Care Practice

If you want to help your patients manage the cost of your practice's exams, procedures and products, consider offering CareCredit as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for things like hearing care services and devices over time while helping to enhance the payments process for your practice.

When you accept CareCredit, patients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a patient financing solution for your hearing care practice or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

Author Bio

Robyn Tellefsen is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, finance and more. Her work has appeared on sites such as LoopNet, Beachside Rehab, First Horizon Bank, SoFi, A Place for Mom, American Express, Chase and more.

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