Counseling our aging population: A training program for pharmacy students on hearing loss

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Audiology
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Hearing loss impacts a significant portion of the adult population, particularly older adults.
• Impaired hearing can hinder understanding of crucial medication instructions, leading to non-adherence and adverse health outcomes.
• Effective patient counseling is vital to mitigate these risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To educate advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students about hearing loss.
• To assess the impact of a targeted educational program on students' preparedness to counsel patients with hearing impairment.
• To improve medication understanding and adherence among patients with hearing loss through enhanced student skills.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of an online educational program for APPE students.
• The program focused on the audiology of hearing loss, its psychological consequences, and communication strategies.
• Post-training surveys were administered to evaluate student knowledge and confidence levels.

Main Results:

• Prior to training, less than 20% of students felt comfortable interacting with patients with hearing impairment.
• The majority of students (over 80%) reported improved understanding of hearing loss consequences and counseling abilities post-training.
• Over 70% of students felt better prepared to counsel patients with hearing loss after completing the program.

Conclusions:

• Educational interventions are crucial for preparing healthcare professionals to address the needs of patients with hearing loss.
• This program effectively enhanced students' knowledge of hearing loss and communication barriers.
• Improved student preparedness can lead to better patient outcomes and medication adherence.