Relationship-centered consultation skills for audiologists: Remote and in-person care

To compound the problem of low uptake of hearing aids, recent data suggest untreated hearing loss is linked to several other conditions that erode a person's overall quality of life, especially as they age. One popular approach geared to better meet the needs of persons with hearing loss is to practice patient-centered care. Something that is easy to talk about (ask any audiologist and they say that they do it) but challenging to implement. Patient-centered care might seem like a recent advance, but the term has been around for more than 30 years. Relationship-centered communication acknowledges the clinician's expertise and judgment, while respecting the person's preferences, perspectives, and ultimately his or her ability to decide what intervention is best. Recently, Wallhagen, Strawbridge, and Tremblay (2021) proposed that audiologists should work within the 4M's framework. The 4M's framework suggests that what Matters is relationship-centered communication, and it needs to be combined with being mindful of Medication that might impact the individual's overall wellbeing and communication ability, along with Mobility (maintaining overall daily physical functioning) and Mentation (sustaining good cognitive and emotional health). The 4M's framework reminds us that hearing loss is not independent of other health conditions and the ability to capture the full totality of the individual's situation is built on a foundation of holistic, empathic communication. This book intends to provide some practical guidance, based on scientific principles, around this foundation of holistic communication. Furthermore, it shows that relationship-centered communication is not confined to in-person visits;that strong professional relationships can be forged in the virtual world-something that should interest all stakeholders as we move into the post-COVID era of tele-audiology and remote care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The medical treatment relationship and corona

What does the current COVID-19 pandemic teach us about the doctor-patient relationship? What terms and concepts are significant? Why is Balint work an ideal technique for exploring these multi-layered relationships in depth? The author explores these questions in her opening lecture of last year's 59th Sils Balint Study Week. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (German) Was lehrt uns die aktuelle Covid-19-Pandemie uber die Arzt- Patientenbeziehung? Welche Begriffe und Konzepte haben dabei eine Bedeutung? Warum ist Balintarbeit eine ideale Technik, diese vielschichtigen Verhaltnisse vertieft zu erforschen? Diesen Fragen geht die Autorin in ihrem Eroffnungsreferat der letztjahrigen 59. Silser Balint-Studienwoche nach. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)