ASSESS PRESENTING PROBLEM AND NEEDS

Expected Outcomes:

• Identification of factors in the patient’s background that may put him/her at risk for hearing problems.
• Identification of FDA red flags that would require a referral for medical evaluation.
• Identification of other medical problems that may have an impact on the methods used for procedures and/or expected outcomes of hearing aid fitting.
• Identification of family members’ concerns regarding patient’s hearing difficulties.
• Exploration of patient attitudes and expectations of amplification.
• Identification of problems with hearing and understanding.
• Identification of daily activities and impact of hearing loss on lifestyle.
• Identification of impact of hearing loss on family, friends and in the workplace.

Indication for Procedure:

• Individuals being seen for either hearing screening or hearing evaluation

Procedure Methods:

• Typically consists of a combination of written answers to a series of questions, elaboration of those answers by oral questioning and behavioral observation.
• Areas covered include but are not limited to: family history of hearing loss; incidence and duration of childhood hearing-related illnesses; information regarding dizziness, loss of balance or tinnitus; current medication/drug history; and history of noise exposure and acoustic trauma. In addition, it is critical to elicit family members’ concerns about the patient’s hearing difficulties, the patient’s attitudes and expectations regarding amplification, and the patient’s own assessment of their hearing difficulties.
• Additional areas that must be covered include but are not limited to questions regarding history of ear surgeries, diseases and treatments; information regarding past experiences with amplification; and questions and observations regarding ear deformity, pain, sudden hearing loss, ear infection, disease, drainage or blockage requiring medical referral.
(Reprinted from the International Hearing Society web site open to the public) www.ihsinfo.org