Non-Profit Institute Offerings Reinforce "Inspired by Change" Conference Theme
Naerum, DK November 30 - The Ida Institute presented two workshops at the recent British Academy of Audiology (BAA) Conference held November 9-11 in Landudno, Wales. The focus of the Ida workshops complemented the international conference's "Inspired by Change" theme that looked at changes in audiology that are impacting patients and professionals. The BAA is one of the leading associations within audiology and balance in the UK and its annual conference brings together hearing care professionals from across Europe and around the world.
"This year's BAA conference theme invited an important and thought-provoking examination of topics that have incredible potential to advance the field of audiology," said Ida Institute Managing Director Lise Lotte Bundensen. "We welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the knowledge-sharing and collaboration evident throughout the conference's extensive program offerings. Through our workshops, we continued our commitment to foster a shift to more patient-centered care and to share our methods and counseling tools developed through Ida's seminars and other collaborative initiatives with hearing care professionals who are on the frontlines of patient care."
On the opening day of the conference, a workshop presented by Ida Institute Anthropologist and Team Leader Kirsten Lauritsen invited participants to explore the Living Well with Hearing Loss Counseling Tool. The new tool is the most recent addition to Ida's expanding toolbox of practical, easy-to-implement strategies to open communication and engage patients in the self-management of their hearing loss. The Living Well tool is designed to help hearing care professionals explore the person behind the hearing loss and to discover and address otherwise undetected aspects that may significantly impact patients' ability to lead the life of their choice. The workshop looked at practical application of the new tool in private and public clinic settings.
Lauritsen also joined with Ida Institute Senior Audiologist Melanie Gregory, who is a member of the BAA Scientific Program Committee, to lead opening day panel discussions on "Changing Perspectives in Audiology." Distinguished panelists included Ida Institute Advisory Board Members Professor Adrian Davis of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, London, and Professor Patricia Kricos, past president of the American Academy of Audiology. The panel also included former Ida Faculty Member Dr. Sam Trychin, a psychologist in private practice in the US, and Dr. Harvey Dillon from the National Acoustic Laboratories in Sydney, Australia.
A second Ida Institute workshop discussed the benefits of group aural rehabilitation (AR), a service not widely offered in audiology practices. Workshop leaders included former Ida faculty members Jill Preminger and Sam Trychin, audiologist Jane Madell and Ida Anthropologist Hans Henrik Philipsen. The interactive workshop provided guidance for clinicians seeking to develop and implement their own AR programs.
Ida Institute also sponsored an exhibit to showcase the complete array of Ida tools and to preview upcoming Ida initiatives including the seminar series, "Managing Change: Realities and Roadblocks." The new seminars will apply Ida's collaborative approach to help seminar participants understand the realities facing audiologists, explore the barriers to change, and craft a way to move ahead. The exhibit enabled Ida staff to network throughout the three-day conference with hearing care professionals in hearing care, healthcare and related disciplines who are seeking to better understand the human dynamics of hearing loss.
For more information on the Ida Institute, the new seminar series, the Ida tools, including the new Living Well with Hearing Loss Counseling Tool, and to join the Ida network, visit www.idainstitute.com.
About the Ida Institute
Established in 2007 with a grant from the Oticon Foundation, the Ida Institute is a non-profit independent educational institute located in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Institute seeks to foster a better understanding of the human dynamics associated with hearing loss. By serving as a catalyst for knowledge sharing and the development of innovative and practical tools, the Institute assists hearing care professionals in helping hearing impaired people address the physical, psychological and social challenges of hearing loss. For more information, visit www.idainstitute.com.
