Abstract
Introduction:
Although technological advancements have improved the treatment outcomes of hearing-impaired patients, challenges still exist as caregivers are not able to fully appreciate patients' difficulties in communication. An effective education programme is deemed important, including an experiential learning component where people in contact with the patient could experience the sounds actually heard by the patient. This led to the setting up of the Hearing Education Arcade (HEAR), an interactive gallery which contains information about various aspects of hearing loss. This pilot study aims to assess the usefulness of HEAR as an educational tool for caregivers of hearing-impaired patients.
Methods:
Two separate surveys were carried out. The first survey sought to find out if HEAR had been informative and educational. The second, a focus-group survey on caregivers of hearing impaired children and adults, gauged knowledge levels before and after experiencing HEAR.
Results:
Most respondents found HEAR to be very informative (86.4%) and highly educational (75.8%). The respondents in both focus groups recorded improvement in knowledge scores after going through HEAR.
Conclusion:
This study supports the belief that HEAR is a useful tool in the education of caregivers of hearing-impaired patients about hearing, its disorders, the treatment and the needs of the hearing-impaired. When the family and caregivers are properly educated on matters of hearing loss, it can have a positive effect on management outcomes.