AEA/ECAT Mini Symposium – 27th of May 2018

On the 27^th of May, 20 participants from 8 countries joined the AEA/ECAT Mini Symposium at the Audiology University College: Institut Libre de Marie-Haps in Brussels.

The following topics were discussed and presented:

Introduction and overview of the AEA Mini Symposium.

Video on the importance of hand-hygiene

The European Committee for Audiology and Technology (ECAT) – Workgroup within AEA – Activities in 2017-2018 and overall goals – Dimitris Chrysikos (Greece) – ECAT President

Biap Recommendations – What is new? – Fritz Zajicek – AEA General Secretary

BIAP Rec 06/13: Evaluation of autonomy in the use of a hearing aid

BIAP Rec 06/14: Hearing Aids for Elderly Dependents

BIAP Rec 06/15: Training of staff in residential and nursing homes for dependent persons fitted with hearing aids

BIAP Rec 06/16-07/7: Management of Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT) – FM / RF

BIAP Rec 06/16-07/6 Annex 1: a proposal ‘Indication of Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT)’

BIAP Rec 06/16-07/6 Annex 2: ‘Verification of Hearing Assistive Technology: Electroacoustic measurements’

BIAP Rec 06/16-07/6 Annex 3: ‘Validation of Hearing Assistive Technology: Behavioural measurements’

BIAP Rec 09/1 Rev 1: Examining hearing of people exposed to noise

BIAP Rec 09/2 Rev 1: Preserving hearing at work

BIAP Rec 12/8 Part 12/8.0 Audiometric procedures in the first year of life

BIAP Rec 12/8 Part 12/8.1.1 and 12/8.1.2 Otoscopy and Impedance Measurement

BIAP Rec 12/8 Part 12/8.1.5 Audiometric procedures in the first year of life – Behavioral Observation Audiometry (BOA)

BIAP Rec 12/8 Part 12/8.1.3 Audiometric procedures in the first year of life –Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) and Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)

Hygiene and Infection control for Hearing Aid Professionals – Lotte Deruddere – Artevelde University College – VBA

Necessity of hygiene and infection control protocols.

Prevent or limit possible contamination/infection (yourself, patient, co-workers)

Important and necessary, also within audiology - need for insight in risks and specific protocols composed by Artevelde University College in Ghent in collaboration with VBA (Belgian Professionals Association for Audiologists).

Effective = consistent and universal

Very good and dynamic presentation leading to a lot of questions and interaction in the audience.

The relations between Hearing Loss – Independence and the use of Hearing Aids - Mark Laureyns – AEA President

First this session started with a video on the Lunch Debate in the European Parliament where Hèléne Amieva presented the main results of her study.

Then the overview of all studies related to hearing and cognition where presented, followed by the details on the study on Hearing and Independence and the impact of Hearing Care (hearing aids) on this relation.

The conclusion is that Hearing Aid Users demonstrate much less reduction of independence than people with hearing loss not using hearing aids.

Then followed by the highlights of the latest European Survey on Hearing Loss and Hearing Care – EuroTrack with the following key topics:

• Only 30% of the people with hearing loss – not using hearing aids, know that the health care system in their country covers hearing aids financially (fully or partly) in their country, while 85% of hearing aids users know this … how can we create more awareness on this aspect?
• The next topic was “stigma”: Average Stigma Non-Users (How often do you feel you are made fun of or rejected because your hearing loss?) is 32% while the Average Stigma of Users (How often do you feel you are made fun of or rejected because you are wearing a hearing aid?) is only 14%. Sigma is low in Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands and Denmark – while stigma is very high in Poland, UK and Italy.

• In contrast to what is often believe, only 5% of hearing aids land in the drawer in countries with private hearing care, 10% in countries with state organised hearing care … but vital medication for hypertension and diabetes lands for 30% of cases in the drawer.
• Hearing Aids significantly improve quality of life – this aspect is highest in Italy, France, Belgium and Switzerland, while less present in Denmark, The Netherlands and UK.
• In the latest surveys using the PHQ-2 Screening Test for Depression Symptoms – it is clear that hearing care leads to a reduction of depressive symptoms for people with hearing loss.

You can download this document from the link below...

AEA members can also find the hand-outs in the private section of the AEA website.

The next AEA/ECAT Mini Symposium will be organised in Lübeck – Germany on Sunday the 2^nd of June 2019.