A common issue in all health care fields is adherence to treatment. It is difficult for individuals to change their behaviours and to maintain those behaviours. Every person has their own perspective on their health and makes decisions about their health in different ways. Some individuals deny that they have a health problem, some are reluctant to manage their health, and others follow advice from practitioners without question. Health care practitioners are faced with the challenge of helping a wide range of individuals with many different perceptions.
Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic health conditions impacting up to (FILL IN STATISTIC)…. Hearing loss can negatively impact individuals’ lives in many ways. Relationships …show more content…
However, 80% of adults aged 55 – 74 years who would benefit from hearing aids, do not use them (McCormack & Fortnum, 2013). This poses a great challenge for audiologists. Audiologists must understand why individuals chose to adopt hearing instruments or not. Hearing instrument adoption is linked to many factors such as degree of hearing loss, perceived need, and lifestyle (Kochkin, 2009). Individuals with greater degrees of hearing loss are more likely to adopt hearing instruments than those with milder losses. An individual with a mild loss may not perceive themselves as needing a hearing instrument of that their loss is not severe enough to warrant intervention. It has been reported that individuals on average wait 6.7 years after becoming aware of their hearing loss before adopting hearing aids (Kochkin, 2009). An extensive body of literature exists on the positive impacts of wearing hearing aids, such as improved quality of life, specifically improving communication in relationships, emotional stability and perceptions of mental and physical health (McCormack & Fortnum, 2013). Given all the benefits of hearing instrument use audiologists should aim to address these barriers and determine ways to help individuals receive intervention more …show more content…
In 2015, Aazh created a pilot study to explore the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial to evaluate effect of motivational interviewing on hearing-aid use. The pilot study consisted of two groups: standard care plus motivational interviewing and a control group who received standard care only. Individuals who received motivational interviewing saw an increase in hearing instrument use, based on data logging one month post-intervention. Aazh concluded it is possible to incorporate motivational interviewing into standard care and that it’s use facilitates hearing instrument use. Although, this was a preliminary study the successful application of motivational interviewing in audiological care is promising for the