title: Hearing Loss in Hospice and Palliative Care: A National Survey of Providers.
abstract: Age-related hearing loss can impair patient-provider communication about symptom management, goals of care, and end-of-life decision-making.
  
  
  
  To determine whether hospice and palliative care providers screen for or received training about hearing loss, believe it impacts patient care, and use strategies to optimize communication.
  
  
  
  This was a national survey of hospice and palliative care providers conducted via email and social media. Survey questions were pilot tested with multidisciplinary providers in San Francisco.
  
  
  
  Of 510 responses (55% age 50+ years, 65% female, 64% in practice 5+ years, 57% practiced hospital-based palliative care, 45% hospice), 315 were physicians, 50 nurses, 48 nurse practitioners, 58 social workers, and 39 chaplains. Ninety-one percent reported that hearing loss has some or great impact on the quality of care for older adults. Eighty-eight percent recalled a situation where hearing loss created a communication problem with a patient and 56% a communication problem with a caregiver. Eighty-seven percent of physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners reported not screening for hearing loss. Although 61% felt comfortable with their communication skills for patients with hearing loss, only 21% reported having received formal training in its management, 31% were unfamiliar with resources for patients with hearing loss, and 38% had never heard of a pocket talker amplification device.
  
  
  
  Hospice and palliative medicine providers believe age-related hearing loss impacts care yet most do not screen. Although they feel they are managing well, few have formal training. Knowledge about management approaches and resources is suboptimal.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Geriatrics, Palliative, and Extended Care, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA. Electronic address: aksmith@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Alexander K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Jewish Home San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Christine S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wallhagen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D017051:Hospice Care; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hearing loss; aging; communication; hospice; palliative care