AUD503: Device Counseling
Welcome
As an audiologist, your primary tasks will include testing patient's hearing, fitting them with proper hearing aids, and calibrating those aids to address their specific hearing loss. But what should set your care apart from the big box retailers that sell lesser devices is your counseling and investment in making sure your patients understand how their devices work, and best practices for their use and care. Click on the video below to meet your instructor for this course, Amanda Ortmann, PhD, and learn about this course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
• Differentiate between the types of
hearing devices
• Provide specific instruction to your
patients about how their specific
device works so they can get the most from
their hearing aids
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: Receiver in the Canal hearing aids
Week 2: Behind the Ear hearing aids
Week 3: In the Ear hearing aids
Week 4: In the Canal hearing aids
Week 5: Completely in the Canal hearing aids
Week 6: Hearing Assistive Technology
Week 7: Communication Strategies
Week 8: Understanding Hearing Loss
Week 1: Receiver in the Canal Hearing Aids
WEEK 1 OBJECTIVES
• Explain how RIC hearing aids work
• Instruct patients how to properly wear
their devices
• Describe how to use the device’s controls
and options
• Explain how to properly care for the device
• Describe best practices for using the telephone with
the device
Welcome to Week 1! Click the video below to learn about this module, then watch the videos below to learn about counseling patients with RIC hearing aids.
Understanding RIC Hearing Aids
This video will give you the basics to help your patients understand the primary functions of their hearing aid, and what it can do to treat their specific hearing loss.
Wearing RIC Hearing Aids
In order to receive the improved access to sound their hearing aid offers, your patients must know how to properly wear their devices. This video will show you how to instruct your patients to insert their devices the right way.
RIC Hearing Aid Controls and Options
This video will teach you about the available options on the RIC hearing aid, including volume controls and program modes. These options can help your patients customize their devices to suit their needs.
RIC Hearing Aid Maintenance
To ensure your patient's hearing aids continue to achieve optimal performance, it is important they receive regular care and maintenance. This video shows the basics.
Using the Telephone with a RIC Hearing Aid
This video addresses one of the most common issues hearing aid users have - using the telephone. Click to learn best practices for keeping your patients in touch with their friends and family.
Assessment
Click here to take the assessment for this week's module.
Discussion
Click here to participate in this week's class discussion.
ABOUT THIS LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Audiology 503 is a required course, but as clinical commitments have increased for faculty—who need to be focusing their energy on patients—and students—who have clinical requirements to complete the program—attendance for all parties has become cumbersome. Program leadership determined that since the nature of this course does not require a face-to-face, hands-on approach, an alternative space could be developed. After researching standardized and flexible online course content (Kelly, 2015), engaging online discussions (Kelly, 2016) and interactive blogging (Orlando, 2015), as well as drawing inspiration from the concept of microlearning, this site—with its short, digestible modules—was created. Now, the intended audience (students) can get their content on their schedule, and the instructors won't need to take time away from their patients.
The idea for this course was conceived through conversations with my wife—a curriculum director for a program in audiology, who graciously agreed to appear on camera for this project—but it has not been designed for any particular program. All videos created for this course were produced, filmed and edited by me. The instructor intros were filmed at the time this site was created. I made the instructional videos a few years ago for the Washington University School of Medicine audiology clinic. They focused on the same topics this course was written around, so I thought this was a great opportunity to dust them off.
About The Author
This site was created by Matt Neatock. Matt is a Media Production Specialist/Course Developer at Maryville University. He has a BA in Communications and Political Science from Albright College in Reading, PA, and is currently working on a MS in Instructional Design Technology from Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. He also has 15 years of television, web and corporate video production experience including 6 years at MTV Networks in New York City, and 6 years with Mike Martin Media in St. Louis.
Sources
Kelly, R., (2015). Striking a Balance Between Standardized and Flexible Online Course Content. Online Classroom, 15(2).
Retrieved from https://cdn.magnapubs.com/pdfs/OC1502.pdf
Orlando, J., (2015). Add Blogging to Your Classroom. Online Classroom, 15(2).
Retrieved from https://cdn.magnapubs.com/pdfs/OC1502.pdf
Kelly, R., (2016). Promoting Meaningful Engagement. Online Classroom, 16(1).
Retrieved from https://cdn.magnapubs.com/pdfs/OC1601.pdf