Family-Centered Audiology Care: Emotion and Reason in Hearing Healthcare

Exploration of domains related to the emotional experiences of the patient and family will act to sensitize our clientele to the topic of emotion, and possibly address underlying motivations for their visit. At a minimum, the evidence suggests that conversations about the emotional impact of hearing loss will provide a better understanding of the patient’s and family’s disability experience, foster a stronger therapeutic alliance, and likely lead to more positive practice outcomes, such as greater treatment adherence, more open and honest communication with patients, and greater patient satisfaction.