Hearing Loss and cognition : the perspective of healthcare professionals

Abstract

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the leading causes of hearing loss (HL) and among the most significant communication disorders present in the ageing population (National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, 2018; Saadi and Isildak, 2019). Untreated HL may increase the effect of auditory deprivation leading to increased cognitive decline (CD). This may result in reduced social participation, increased isolation and depression which may contribute towards reduced interest in hearing rehabilitation (Berrettini et al., 2016). The perspective of twenty-one healthcare professionals with respect to acquired HL and cognition within the local population was investigated. Audiologists, geriatricians, nurses and speech and language pathologists (SLP’s) were recruited. The methodology adopted involved online focus groups. A rigorous qualitative analysis outlined similarities and differences in the professionals’ viewpoint. The main findings suggested that adapted cognitive assessments which are suitable for clients experiencing HL are highly insubstantial. For this reason, yielding reliable test results may be compromised. In Malta, a lack of interdisciplinarity and the issue of an insufficient formed pathway for client management was raised. Stumbling blocks related to the implementation of hearing aids (HA’s) were also discussed as inhibiting intervention effectiveness within different local clinical settings. In Malta, professionals adopt strategies which facilitate communication when encountering individuals experiencing HL. However, optimal training with respect to HL and cognition was suggested to be poor within the local context. Consequently, compelling needs for healthcare professionals to increase their awareness in relation to how losses in relation to hearing and cognition are amalgamated to affect the life of the individual have been highlighted. The novelty of this study could inform future studies which may be conducted and examine the relationship between HL and cognition within the local context. Research gaps are dicussed and the research questions were formulated in a manner which provides information about HL and cognition in light of the local context as it was observed that local research in this regard is highly lacking.