Volume 103
March 16, 2022
  • Uniquely Intertwined
  • Brain Hearing
  • Unseemly Dialogue (Not!)
  • Public Health Policy Imperatives
  • The Blue Man
  • Health Questionnaire 

Since our previous issue highlighted identifying and promoting your practice’s Unique aspects, we now head towards an integral educational series concentrating on the Uniquely intertwined nature of hearing and brain functions.

Within hearing care circles, to what degree have “brain hearing” references increased in consultative lexicon over recent years? For illustration purposes, IF quantifiable, might representative trends and projections slope upper right? For many valid reasons, this topic’s importance gains rapidly.
Guided by high-integrity principles, hearing care professionals reputably share research-based knowledge that, in personally relevant ways, empowers patients to make well-informed decisions. While staunchly advocating evidence-based educational pathways, we join the chorus which adamantly opposes those inappropriately fanning flames of comorbidity fears. Case in point, aggressive types who admonish wary patients by saying, “If you do not get hearing aids today, you will certainly get dementia soon.” This unfortunate strain of unseemly dialogue should be silenced. In stark contrast to fear mongering, nurturing aims in right directions.
This April 2020 issue outlined:

“With whole-person care a public health policy imperative, comorbidity education raises awareness of how medical conditions relate to one another. While crucial for all healthcare specialists to lead in their area of expertise, the hearing health profession is uniquely positioned to do so.”

“Further, as you are all too aware, by helping patients to hear better, you help them communicate more effectively with all healthcare providers. Please see these highlights from a noteworthy International Journal of Audiology article: The Critical Role of Hearing in Health Literacy.

“In these integral contexts, ongoing COVID-19 struggles will continue teaching us, again, about the significance of scientific discovery. As we admire healthcare heroes on the frontlines daily, think about talented researchers who devote years and careers to publish peer-reviewed research of high integrity. As data speaks, we should listen, learn, understand and skillfully guide others to benefit similarly.”


With mass confusion sowed by the likes of Amazon and an impending OTC array, hearing-challenged individuals with medical concerns need trusted advice. If not from you, then whom? In practice, genuinely caring professionals Amplify their Influence via stellar reputations, situational awareness and subject matter expertise.

“Medicine is the science of uncertainty and the art of probability.”
— William Osler

Deftly aligned with your Unique Practice’s devotion to whole-person care objectives, as prelude to discussing hearing and brain function, health history forms are essential and typically (from years ago) appear this way:

While these documents may include some comorbidity checkboxes, we heard leading clinicians calling for an eye-catching, user-friendly and comorbidity-focused intake form. Led by their vision, our popular Blue Man came to life. Purposely, in reception areas, easel or wall displays are large-format attention getters.


As shown, each medically relevant comorbidity, now including sleep apnea and thyroid disease, features a brief explanation. Just enough to spark conversation, but not too much.

From there, to facilitate retention and sharing, matching handouts are easily shared at point of care. With front mirroring canvas artwork design, the back is a comorbidity synchronous questionnaire to practically integrate. 


As seen, each comorbidity has one or two associated queries, with these examples:

  • Has your short term memory decreased in recent years?
  • Have you or a family member been diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer’s?

On a daily basis, systematically asking these questions and learning from responses will identify interdisciplinary factors that comprise whole-person plans of care. With optimal quality of life outcomes paramount, your trusting patients and all necessary medical specialists, starting with you, should know.

Feeling compelled? Your expert voice will speak volumes.

Bruce Essman
CEO
High Definition Impressions (HDI)



314.276.7392

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