NAERUM, DK March 15 -- The Ear Foundation recently released a report on the Ida Institute Telecare for Teens and Tweens − a suite of easy-to-use online tools and resources to help teens self-manage their hearing loss.
The report, entitled “Transitioning for young people: Using telecare tools to participate in their hearing care,” is based on a study conducted among 30 teenage cochlear users from six different countries in connection with the annual Ear Foundation & Euro-CIU 2017 European Friendship Week.
The teenagers were asked to complete the Telecare tools prior to the event. The tools contain questions around their hearing and communication strategies in everyday situations. Subsequent group discussions were held at the event using the tools to structure the conversation and allow the participants to share and reflect upon their daily communication challenges and discuss which communication strategies to adopt.
Giving Teens and Tweens a Voice
Both the activity leaders and the teens found the tools to be useful, with the activity leaders commenting that the tools saved time because the teens came in with prepared answers. The leaders indicated that teens and tweens could use the tools for self-learning and to recognize situations that were complicated for them and how they could be improved. Completing the tools online at home was found to give the teens a “safe, objective and natural environment platform to voice their thoughts and struggles which they could also share with their family, friends and professionals, and peers so they do not struggle.” Parents of the participants also expressed appreciation that the tools were easy to use and accessible from home.
Ida Telecare for Teens and Tweens is part of the Ida Institute’s suite of telehealth resources. The platform offers people with hearing loss easy-to-use tools and resources to help them prepare for appointments and successfully manage daily communication and important decisions related to hearing.
All tools are freely available from the Ida Institute’s website. Read more at idainstitute.com or subscribe to the Ida Institute’s Weekly News for regular news updates from Ida Institute.
