Focus Groups for Breaking Barriers: Empowering Primary Care Providers to be Instigators of Change in Hearing Health Care Practice

Focus Groups for Breaking Barriers: Empowering Primary Care Providers to be Instigators of Change in Hearing Health Care Practice

The Breaking Barriers research team is inviting you to take part in an online focus group, where your input will help us find ways to improve the hearing healthcare journey for British Columbians. Our project is co-led by researchers from the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences and the Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility.

Why is this important?: Hearing loss ranks third worldwide in disability-related loss of years of health and is one of the most significant contributors to the global burden of disease. Untreated hearing loss affects communication and health- related quality of life and is linked to social isolation, greater risk of falls, and reduced financial security. Up to 65% of adults in BC age 60+ will develop hearing loss. Fewer than 1/4 of these adults use hearing health care, with most delaying treatment.

Why are we doing this study?: Through focus groups, we aim to obtain input from primary care providers (PCPs), hearing healthcare providers, and older adults with hearing concerns or their caregivers, about recommendations for PCP messages and practices. We hope this information will help to empower PCPs in B.C. to be key instigators for increased, timely uptake of hearing health care by individuals with hearing concerns.

What happens if you say, “Yes, I want to be in the study?”: If you choose to participate in this study, you will be asked to join an online Zoom focus group that will be facilitated by members of the Breaking Barriers research team. In this focus group, you will be asked to share ideas about ways that PCPs can support patients to pursue and receive hearing healthcare. This group discussion session will last about two hours.

Who can take part?: Those eligible to take part in this focus group must be B.C. residents who are one of the following:

1) Primary care providers (General Practitioners, Family Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Primary Care Registered Nurses), or a recent retiree from the primary care field

2) Hearing healthcare providers (Audiologists, Hearing Instrument Practitioners)

3) Adults aged 50 years and older who have personal experience expressing a hearing concern with a PCP within the last 5 years or their informal caregivers, including family or friends, who have directly supported others with hearing concerns.

Will you be paid for your time?: As a token of our appreciation, we are offering a $50 gift card for taking part in the focus group.

How do I join the focus group or get further details?: If you have any questions for the research team, or would like to take part in the focus group, contact Craig at craig.stevenson@audiospeech.ubc.ca

Who is leading this study?:

Dr. Lorienne M. Jenstad (Co-Principal Investigator)

Associate Professor

Faculty of Medicine, School of Audiology & Speech Sciences

The University of British Columbia Email: ljenstad@audiospeech.ubc.ca

Dr. Brenda T. Poon (Co-Principal Investigator)

Senior Research Fellow,

Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility Assistant Professor, School of Population & Public Health, Faculty of Medicine,

The University of British Columbia

Email: brenda.poon@wavefrontcentre.ca