TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Australian allied hearing-healthcare professionals
T2 - survey on comorbid hearing loss and cognitive impairment
AU - Jayakody, Dona M.P.
AU - Je, Eunkyeong Grace
AU - Livings, Isabelle
AU - McIlhiney, Paul
AU - Trevenen, Michelle
AU - Kekez, Damir
AU - Mavaddat, Nahal
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Jayakody, Je, Livings, McIlhiney, Trevenen, Kekez and Mavaddat.
PY - 2024/8/23
Y1 - 2024/8/23
N2 - Purpose: As hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor of dementia, allied hearing-healthcare professionals (AHHPs) frequently see older patients who are affected by both conditions. However, little is known about how well Australian AHHP’s understand the complexities of providing care to patients with comorbid hearing loss and dementia, as well as their associated views and practices. Thus, the current study used a survey to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of Australian AHHPs in managing comorbid patients. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional design was used, wherein a KAP survey was developed and distributed to eligible AHHPs via Qualtrics. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Results: 101 Australian AHHPs met inclusion criteria (2.5% of approximately 4,000 invited AHHPs), and participated in the study. Although participants generally possessed a high level of knowledge for the association between hearing loss and cognitive impairment, their specific knowledge and practices in relation to cognitive screening tests and referral pathways was limited. Participants also expressed mostly positive attitudes towards their role in assisting patients with comorbid hearing loss and dementia. Furthermore, our results suggested that some KAPs relevant to comorbid patients differed based on sex, qualification, and ethnicity. Conclusion: This study identified gaps in the knowledge and practices of Australian AHHPs with regard to the complexities of addressing comorbid cognitive impairment and hearing loss. These findings will help to develop training programs to empower AHHPs to deliver optimal healthcare services to comorbid patients.
AB - Purpose: As hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor of dementia, allied hearing-healthcare professionals (AHHPs) frequently see older patients who are affected by both conditions. However, little is known about how well Australian AHHP’s understand the complexities of providing care to patients with comorbid hearing loss and dementia, as well as their associated views and practices. Thus, the current study used a survey to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of Australian AHHPs in managing comorbid patients. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional design was used, wherein a KAP survey was developed and distributed to eligible AHHPs via Qualtrics. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Results: 101 Australian AHHPs met inclusion criteria (2.5% of approximately 4,000 invited AHHPs), and participated in the study. Although participants generally possessed a high level of knowledge for the association between hearing loss and cognitive impairment, their specific knowledge and practices in relation to cognitive screening tests and referral pathways was limited. Participants also expressed mostly positive attitudes towards their role in assisting patients with comorbid hearing loss and dementia. Furthermore, our results suggested that some KAPs relevant to comorbid patients differed based on sex, qualification, and ethnicity. Conclusion: This study identified gaps in the knowledge and practices of Australian AHHPs with regard to the complexities of addressing comorbid cognitive impairment and hearing loss. These findings will help to develop training programs to empower AHHPs to deliver optimal healthcare services to comorbid patients.
KW - audiology
KW - dementia
KW - health service delivery
KW - KAP survey
KW - quality of care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204959931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fmed.2024.1412475
DO - 10.3389/fmed.2024.1412475
M3 - Article
C2 - 39247636
AN - SCOPUS:85204959931
SN - 2095-0217
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Medicine
JF - Frontiers in Medicine
M1 - 1412475
ER -