Ten years of the Advanced Hearing Aid Clinic at NNUH
A NNUH service that is providing extra support for patients with severe and profound hearing loss is marking its 10th anniversary.
The Advanced Hearing Aid Clinic was established in the Audiology Department in 2009 for patients with complex hearing needs.
The clinic is run by a team of seven senior audiologists and Clinical Scientists, who have extensive knowledge and experience in managing complex hearing problems.
The team, who have doubled the number of appointments for patients over ten years, carry out detailed history taking, testing, counselling and advanced hearing aid programming for patients.
Rachel Stevenson, Lead Clinical Scientist, said the Advanced Hearing Aid Clinic had improved patient care by being staffed by experienced clinicians and gave patients more time than a routine audiology appointment.
She said: “A lot of our patients at this clinic have great difficulty following conversation despite wearing high powered hearing aids and are reliant on lip reading. We can offer these patients detailed diagnostic testing, counselling, advice on communications tactics and help with applications for specialist equipment and assistive technology.
We really get to know the patients and they appreciate seeing the same small team. The team have grown in experience in managing complex hearing losses and have become specialists in this area. Not many audiology departments around the country have dedicated clinics for patients with complex hearing needs.”
Last year the team ran more than 600 advanced clinic appointments and about 15 to 20 patients a year are referred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for consideration of a cochlear implant.
Patients who attend the Advanced Hearing Aid Clinic at NNUH are reassessed by the team every three years or sooner if the need arises.