Sign inPhonak launches a new pilot program on family-centered care
Pilot program
The program will focus on integrating family-centered care as part of a holistic clinical approach and will include more than 40 hearing practices in the United States.
Family-centered care is a recent topic in clinical research, including in audiology. In April 2016, a group of experts published a position paper concluding that optimal patient consulting and treatment requires audiological care that emphasizes both patient and family involvement during the entire treatment process. The experts believe this will enhance the value of hearing care services. The program is in response to this position statement and is part of Phonak’s collaborative work in this area.
“We look forward to implementing the pilot program with practices around the country,” says Prof. Louise Hickson, in the Phonak press release. She is the panel chairperson and Professor of Audiology, and Head of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. “Family-centered care has become internationally recognized as a dimension of high-quality health provision, and we know that hearing outcomes are far better when families are involved, positively impacting overall patient satisfaction. This pilot program is a significant opportunity for participating hearing care professionals to begin integrating family-centered care into their practice and to determine the short and longer-term benefits of engaging family on technology uptake and overall patient satisfaction.”
The main components of the initiative include training sessions for all participating practices, easy-to-implement guidelines as well as scripts to assist personnel and clinicians in implementing the program, and outcome questionnaires for patients and their families. The program will run for the rest of this year, with results expected in December.
Source: Phonak
