Lake Como, Italy. June 2-4, 2016.
Following the great success of the past HEAL 2014 Conference we are pleased to announce the upcoming HEAL 2016 (HEaring Across the Lifespan). Key experts in hearing science and audiology and professionals across the care pathway will meet once again in Cernobbio (Lake Como) to share knowledge, exchange ideas and discuss the most recent advances on hearing dysfunction, screening and early identification, and intervention strategies for infants, children, adults, and the elderly.
Don't miss the opportunity to present your work in this truly international forum and to contribute to make this event a unique, fruitful experience. Oral and poster presentations will be complemented by lively discussions, in a vibrant spirit of exchange and friendship. The program will be structured in concurrent sessions to let delegates select their preferred topics and discussions. The magic of Cernobbio, Lake Como and its surroundings will contribute to making these days an unforgettable experience. Come join us!
For info: www.heal2016.org
SPECIAL-SESSIONS
Listening effort and cognition
There is increasing attention for the concept of listening effort in hearing research and the evidence showing that listening effort may still vary beyond the point at which speech intelligibility is optimized is beginning to emerge. This makes ‘listening effort’ or ‘ease of listening’ a highly interesting outcome variable. It has the potential to open up new avenues in research focusing on the benefit of audiological interventions (e.g. hearing aids) and offers opportunities to advance our understanding of the factors affecting effortful listening. Topics include (but are not limited to): methods applied to assess listening effort; task demand and listening effort; listening effort and hearing loss; the role of cognition in listening effort; listening effort and hearing aid benefit; acute effort versus long term stress/fatigue; clinically applicable methods.
Epidemiology of hearing loss
Observational (longitudinal) studies focusing on the causes and effects of hearing loss and determinants of hearing health related outcomes are scarce, but highly valuable for the field of Audiology. Topics include (but are not limited to): predicting change of hearing ability over the life span; hearing loss as a risk factor for cognitive decline/dementia; hearing loss and the co-occurrence of chronic diseases; hearing loss and psychosocial health; hearing loss and participation in society; hearing screening; predictors of hearing help seeking and hearing aid uptake; the use of internet in epidemiologic studies
E-Health in Audiology
Like in other disciplines, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for the diagnosis of disease and for the delivery of services is gaining ground in Audiology. Advances in mobile technology and applications provide new opportunities for the integration of mobile health (m-health) into (existing) e-health services. What is the state-of-the-art in Audiology? topics include (but are not limited to): Use of internet for the interaction between health care providers and patients; Automated audiometry; Apps for screening/ diagnosis of hearing loss; Apps used for preventive purposes (e.g. NIHL); Self-fitting hearing aids; E-treatment /e- rehab/e-training and effects; Computerized Adaptive Testing; Ecological Momentary Assessment.
