The Role of Hearing Aids in Patient-Doctor Interactions at Burgerology

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2. The Role of Hearing Aids in Patient-Doctor Interactions

It is estimated that over 28 million adults in the US could benefit from using hearing aids and yet, very few invest in them. Less than 30 percent of adults who are 70 or older have ever used hearing aids and this figure plummets to just 16 percent in those who are in the 20 to 69 age group. One of the most common reasons why people refuse to wear hearing aids is because they are concerned about the stigma and how other people will perceive them. Another common reason is because people don’t want to admit that their hearing has become so bad that they need a hearing aid and they believe that they can manage their day-to-day lives without one. Loss of hearing affects more than just hearing – it severely reduces the ability to communicate with others. This, in turn, can affect a person’s emotional and mental health. It can even impact physical health because it impairs patient-doctor interactions. 

Improves Patient-Doctor Communication

Studies show that patients spend more time waiting for the doctor compared to the amount of time they spend with the doctor. The average wait time to see the doctor is 30 minutes, while the average appointment time is just between 10 to 15 minutes. However, you don’t spend your entire appointment time talking to the doctor since a chunk of this is spent with documentation, which means that you will probably talk to your doctor for just 5 to 10 minutes. The main reason for such short appointments is that there is a severe shortage of physicians that is hitting both rural and urban areas. The point here is that you get a very limited amount of time to talk to your doctor so you better make the most of it! You can’t really do that if you’re constantly asking the doctor to repeat themselves. Since doctors are so pressed for time, it’s more likely that they will keep your visit short if you’re unable to have a smooth conversation with them. Hearing aids improve the clarity of speech which will make it easier for you to understand what your doctor is saying. It will also help you ask follow-up questions and have a more productive appointment. Ideally, you should go to an audiologist to figure out what hearing aids would be best for you but if that’s not an option, you can look over the best hearing aids in the market so you can compare them against your requirements.

Decreases the Risk of an Inaccurate Diagnosis

Doctors rarely take your medical history as this is typically done by a medical assistant. Medical assistants take on both administrative and clinical duties – they are responsible for everything from taking your medical history to recording your vital signs and even drawing blood for tests. While they perform a lot of crucial tasks, there is no denying that medical assistants are severely underpaid – they earn about $20 per hour. When taking down your medical history, they will speed through all the questions and if you don’t hear them properly, you may answer incorrectly. Furthermore, if you answer incorrectly, the medical assistant will not ask you the follow-up questions. This can make a world of difference when your doctor has to make a diagnosis. Research shows that taking a person’s medical history and empathetic communication are among the most important aspects in successful physician-patient interaction. If you are hard of hearing and don’t get hearing aids, it will have a negative impact on both aspects.

Improves Comprehension of Treatment Plans

Even if you have only mild hearing loss, you might not be able to clearly hear the treatment instructions and medication dosages. If you feel too self-conscious to ask the doctor or assistant to repeat themselves, you may miss a lot of important information. You assume that you will be able to get everything from just the written instructions but that’s not always the case. For instance, your doctor might verbally warn you about the potential interaction between your medication and certain foods but if you don’t hear that clearly, you will not know which foods to avoid. For instance, grapefruit juice can interact with certain medications that are used to lower cholesterol or treat high blood pressure. This is one of the many reasons why it’s important that you are able to hear your doctor clearly and if you have any hearing loss, you should consider a hearing aid. If you feel self-conscious about using one, there are plenty of discrete options that are invisible to those around you.