Discover how effective communication with your audiologist can lead to better care.
If you’re experiencing hearing loss, an audiologist can play an essential role in evaluating and treating your hearing loss and other symptoms. Choosing the right audiologist for you is important, but perhaps just as important as your initial decision is establishing a strong audiologist-patient relationship. By keeping this relationship strong, you’ll be able to communicate with your audiologist more effectively and ensure you’re receiving the best care possible.
There are several ways to strengthen your audiologist-patient relationship. These include:
- Communicate as clearly as possible
- Be sure to ask questions
- Specify what your goals are
- Listen to your audiologist’s suggestions
Read on to learn more about how you can establish a positive relationship with your audiologist.
Communicate as clearly as possible
The foundation of every healthy relationship is communication and trust, and the relationship you have with your audiologist is no exception. If you have concerns or preferences about your care or how your audiologist communicates with you, let them know! This also goes for communicating how treatment or assistive hearing devices are working for you – be sure to share all your thoughts and experiences with your audiologist so they can make adjustments if necessary.
Be sure to ask questions
Patients are often afraid to ask their healthcare providers questions if they feel like the question is irrelevant or that the provider doesn’t have time. In a positive audiologist-patient relationship, that will never be the case. Your audiologist has most likely heard your question before, and it may even change your course of treatment, so ask away!
Specify what your goals are
Each patient’s lifestyle, preferences, goals, and hearing loss journey are different. Be sure to let your audiologist know about these things, not just on your first visit, but as they change throughout your relationship. By specifying your hearing loss treatment goals, your audiologist will be able to create a treatment plan and suggest hearing devices that will best fit your situation.
Listen to your audiologist’s suggestions
Communication is a two-way street, especially in audiologist-patient relationships. Your audiologist is a professional who takes your evaluation and many other factors into account when suggesting your course of treatment – and they may suggest a treatment you haven’t considered or haven’t heard of before. Listen to your audiologist’s suggestions for the types of treatments, therapies, devices, or hearing protection methods. If you have questions or concerns, be sure to ask. When both you and your audiologist listen to each other and communicate effectively, your audiologist-patient relationship will flourish, and you’ll get the best care possible.
To learn more about hearing loss and audiology, browse the CapTel blog. If you’re looking for ways to communicate more effectively in your everyday life, check out our selection of CapTel captioned telephones for hearing loss.
